Welcome your host, Dr. Dawn Heiman and guest, Kellina Powell.

Kellina, can you tell us how old you are and just a little bit about yourself?

Yeah, for sure. I am 23 years old. I am located in Canada, Toronto. And I am a deaf advocate. So especially on social media and even on podcasts. I have been on so many people's podcasts as well. And I'm been an advocate on Clubhouse as well, it's actually another audio app. So it's cool to be able to teach people how to be more inclusive on an audio app, which is pretty cool.

I'm finally graduating, this month actually, from psychology and ... Yeah, so it's really exciting. And I'm actually going to do a post-graduate certificate program in mental health, because I want it to open up my own mental health coaching business to help, those who are in need, especially in the deaf community. Because, my interest has always been helping other people and because I never met someone that is deaf and is a therapist. So it's very rare to see nowadays. I'm willing to take that step and be the first one coming out.

I would say my hearing loss started when I was four, at the age of four. I went to day care actually, and I had an ear infection. And the doctor prescribed me a prescription, ear drops, and the daycare did not follow the instructions. However, it made me lose my hearing. And so that day, when I went home, my hearing just dropped in one day. So unbelievable. My mom was a young mom, she had no idea what's going on. Luckily, my grandmother was actually a nurse. So she was able to speak to me on the phone. Again, I couldn't hear on the phone. So my grandmother rushed home. She thought something really bad had happened. And I said, "No, grandma. I'm okay. It's just I can't hear." And the next day I went to my family doctor and they said, "Unfortunately, Kellina is deaf and there's nothing more we can do."

Who's your audiologist?

It's Kurt. I forgot the last name, but they're amazing. They are in downtown Toronto, it's called Union Hearing Aids.

So let's start with family first. So family, it was ... They were very emotional, because I'm the first deaf person in the family. And so it was heartbreaking for them to even think that something would happen at a daycare. And for them, it was very eye-opening. It was very rewarding for them to learn different ways to communicate with me. I guess communication was the big thing that my family had to learn from me. And especially sign language, because I'd been ignoring sign language when I was growing up, because my family didn't have the time to learn that and put it with me. And so that was a little kind of "okay". And then I went to a deaf school, actually. I went to two schools. I went to deaf school and a hearing school. So I went to school, able to balance the communication with two communities. So that was even more helpful for me, to help me understand better, what it's like to be in two different communities. So I give props to my family for that.

Awesome. So good. [inaudible] ... what I find really interesting is that you and I met on Clubhouse, which was an audio-only app. You came into a classroom I think that I had, that was just to talk about hearing-loss stories, which ... It's just so fantastic. So how do you navigate Clubhouse, which is all auditory? And your handle is @deafqueen. Right?

Yes.

How do you do it?

I would say, I have caption on the side, on my different phone, which is on this phone. I have two phones. So I play it sometime on the speaker and let it go through the caption. Or, I just listen to it in my Bluetooth, because my Bluetooth is just like my Airbox. So it works really well. I participate in a lot of rooms that is beneficial for me and help others to be more inclusive. So that's how I navigate with Clubhouse.

Do you have any of your own rooms? Have you led some rooms?

I'm actually doing rooms with a friend of mine. Her name is Rochelle. She's another big Deaf advocate as well on Clubhouse. She's amazing. Oh, my gosh, [inaudible] my mother. I've actually helped her run her rooms together, because me and her are the only two deaf people actually grown big on Clubhouse, actually. People be like, "Kellina" or "Michelle". "No, Kellina." And I'm like, "Wait, My name is damn popular too?" me and her together, been doing work on the room together. And it's called Deaf and [inaudible] . I'm pretty sure that's what it's called. So me and her have been doing that one. Every Monday we have a room now at six o'clock, 06:00 PM. Talking about the deaf experience on Clubhouse and how can you make [inaudible] on Clubhouse?

That's awesome. Is there any way that people can reach out to you or DM you? how can they find you?

Everybody can find me on my website. It's called kellinaempowerment.com. Twitter cutiekellina. Third thing is Instagram Deafqueenboss. And TikTok, Deafqueenboss. And, luckily, I'm starting my own YouTube channel to talk about my deaf experience and telling people what it's like in the hearing community. And it's called Deaf Queen Boss as well.

Thank you so much for having me today.

You're amazing. So I hope to collaborate with you. And I'm going to have to check out your room with Rochelle on Mondays at six o'clock. Is that Eastern standard time?

You have a wonderful weekend and thank you again.

Thank you. Bye.

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