Soudek is national scholarship winner

The Cochlear Corporation of America has announced that Katie Soudek of Kingfisher, a 2017 honor graduate and valedictorian of Hennessey High School, is one of three national winners of the 2019 Anders Tjellstrom Scholarship.

Her application was chosen as one of the three national winners from among over 200 received from across the country. Soudek will receive $8000 toward her education as the winner.

Named after hearing implant industry pioneer Anders Tjellstrom, the research physician to treat the first patient with a Baha implant device, this scholarship recognizes implant recipients who not only demonstrate exemplary success in their academic pursuits, but also leadership and humanity in their local communities and on their college campuses.

Soudek, who lost the hearing in her left ear at the age of 11, has worn a cochlear implant since 2014.

Despite losing 50 percent of her hearing in junior high, Soudek, who was already an accomplished vocalist by that age, still managed to earn All-State Chorus status all four years while at Hennessey High School as well as play the female lead role in the 2016 HHS production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

She also served her class as junior and senior class president, National Honor Society chapter president, an HHS speech and debate team member and was a 2017 Oklahoma Academic All-Stater.

Currently a sophomore at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, Soudek is majoring in psychology and minoring in American Sign Language, where she carries a 3.69 GPA.

At Baylor, Soudek is listed on the Dean’s Honor Roll, a member of the Baylor Women’s Choir, the National Association of Collegiate Scholars and Alpha Delta Pi sorority, where she serves as recording secretary.

She plans to attend Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. for her graduate work in clinical psychology upon graduation from Baylor.

She is the daughter of J.E. and Linda Soudek and the granddaughter of Phil and Dorothy Burns, all of Kingfisher, and Margie Soudek of Oklahoma City, formerly of Kingfisher.