9 minute read
In Z-Hood
Capture the Heart: Giving Back for the Greater Good
BY KELLY MACCONOMY
Recently nominated for the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce’s 40 Under 40 Award, Jennifer Masi is the epitome of a good deed doer. Jen has worked at the Children’s Law Center in Washington, D.C. since 2011. In 2017 she became the Pro Bono Director for the nonprofit organization, representing at-risk children living in homes suffering the gravest job, food, and shelter insecurities.
Jen lives in Alexandria’s West End with her husband, singer/songwriter Jason Masi. Jen has worked for the CLC at home during the pandemic. Jason continued to perform remotely by doing “quarantunes” concerts several times a week and then resumed live concerts at outdoor venues around the DMV.
Jen, 39, and Jason, 41, attended the same high school in Fredericksburg. After Jen asked Jason, who was home from his freshman year at Longwood University, to the prom, their first real date was at Denny’s. It was love at first date.
Jen attended the University of Virginia to earn a degree in history with a minor in political science. After graduation, Jen taught school in Charlottesville before entering the George Washington University Law School. Jason was already having success as a musician touring with his college band, Jubeus, opening for acts such as Everclear, Blind Mellon, and SOJA. In 2010 Jason went solo, performing at more than 250 events a year. Songs from his albums have featured on CBS’s long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless.
Despite Jason’s being continually on the road and Jen’s dealing with at-risk children’s constant legal protection concerns, they make time to raise awareness and fundraise for good causes. Jason has performed to benefit Cancer Can Rock, Loudoun Hunger Relief, the Sweet Julia Grace Foundation (a local pediatric cancer make-a-wish type foundation), breast cancer research awareness, Leashes of Valor (a canine rescue placement for veterans), and most recently, the Children’s Law Center.
Last fall, Diane and Mike Canney hosted a funds and awareness-raising event to benefit the Children’s Law Center at their Sunset Hills Vineyard in Purcellville. Some $5,000 was raised from the sales of wine that day. Jason performed for three hours, drawing the usual crowd of dedicated followers from across the DMV.
Funds were also raised that day for breast cancer research at Johns Hopkins University through the
IN HOOD
Photo: Diane Canney A COVID Hope Quilt panel made by Brianna, age 9, advocating for children in support of nonprofit Children’s Law Center.
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Photo: Diane Canney
Photo: Scott MacConomy
Above: Alexandrians Jennifer and Jason Masi at Sunset Hills Vineyard for a concert performance by Jason benefitting the Children’s Law Center where Jen is the pro bono Director. At left top: Children engaged in the Paint-A-Quilt Panel event during the Children’s Law Center fundraising concert with Jason Masi at Sunset Hills Vineyard. At left bottom: Diane Canney and Jen Masi at the Sunset Hills Vineyard event for the Children’s Law Center.
Photo: Courtesy of Alexandra Wong Alexandra Wong, Alexandria resident and freshman neuroscience student at Johns Hopkins University, has won the Cochlear Anders Tjellström Scholarship.
BY GRACE BILLUPS ARNOLD
Eighteen-year old Alexandra “Zandy” Wong, Alexandria resident and freshman at Johns Hopkins University, was born with a deformed bone in her middle ear.
“Growing up with hearing loss was an isolating experience,” says Alexandra, whose condition is called oval window atresia, which prevents proper processing of vibrations as sound. In Wong’s case, 90% of the hearing in her left ear is lost and has been since birth.
“I was on the fray. I was not an active member in class or in conversation.” Wong says she would frequently mistake or completely miss parts of conversations. The sounds of birds chirping Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Sheila Moore-Neff Alexandra remains close with her high school mentor, Dr. Sheila Moore-Neff, an educational audiologist at Hayfield Secondary. or of her hair blowing in the breeze were just murmurs. But when she was in seventh grade, to Cochlear Scholar on April 15, 2015, Alexandra had sur- Today, Alexandra is a neurosci gery to receive a Cochlear Baha Im- ence student and a recipient of the plant. “Words cannot describe to you 2021 Cochlear Anders Tjellström how amazing it is to hear birds chirp- Scholarship, named for Dr. Anders ing for the first time. And my speech Tjellström, who invented the Baha quality went from zero to one hun- (bone anchored hearing aid) Implant dred. It was surreal.” in 1977.
Alexandra blossomed into an active Dr. Tjellström was a research phy member of her school and commu- sician in the department of otolaryn nity but still refrained from disclos- gology at the Sahlgrenska University ing her disability. “I defined myself in Hospital in Sweden when he collabo other ways,” she says, by submersing rated with Per-Ingvar Brånemark, a herself in activities like piano, tennis, pioneer of osseointegration, and Bo and community service throughout Håkansson, to treat the first patient high school. with a Baha device.
At Hayfield Secondary School, Al- The Baha device utilizes the body’s exandra was one of five students with hearing loss in a student body of 3,000. She didn’t discuss her disability much but shied away from it.
“Others don’t understand what it’s like being the odd one out after you’ve tried every day to conform to the norm,” she says. Despite wanting to blend in, Alexandra found herself the victim of mockery, laughter, bullying when she had difficulty comprehending group conversations in noisy places.
From Cochlar Recipient
ALEXANDRA WONG:
natural ability to conduct sound to skip over the outer and middle ear’s damaged parts, transmitting sound vibrations through the skull to the working inner ear, the cochlea. The Cochlear Baha system offers both a surgical and a non-surgical solution to address conductive hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, and single-sided deafness. The Anders Tjellström Scholarship is awarded by Cochlear, the global expert in implantable hearing solutions for children and adults. Based on academic achievement, commitment to ideals of leadership and humanity, extracurricular activities, and community involvement, Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Sheila Moore-Neff Alexandra remains close with her high school mentor, Dr. Sheila Moore-Neff, an educational audiologist at the scholarship gives selected students $2,000 per year for up to four years toward school-related costs. Of 130 individuals who applied for Cochlear scholarships, only Today, Alexandra is a neurosci- eight were selected: five won the ence student and a recipient of the Graeme Clark Scholarship and three 2021 Cochlear Anders Tjellström won the Anders Tjellström Scholar-
Scholarship, named for Dr. Anders ship, including Alexandra Wong. The
Tjellström, who invented the Baha winners were announced in February (bone anchored hearing aid) Implant 2021. Dr. Tjellström was a research physician in the department of otolaryngology at the Sahlgrenska University
Hospital in Sweden when he collaborated with Per-Ingvar Brånemark, a pioneer of osseointegration, and Bo
Håkansson, to treat the first patient The Baha device utilizes the body’s
The Silence of Sound
diologists, secure professional shad- Alexandra’s TED Talk confront- normally in an able world. owing opportunities, and expand her ed the perpetuation of negative ste- “My experience is certainly not world. “We continued on that jour- reotypes surrounding disability: unique, nor is it the first or last one ney through her high school career as “[Negative stereotypes] are spread by to come. But it is relevant for undershe tried to get comfortable with who the people who choose not to listen standing why what’s left unspoken, she was,” Dr. Moore-Neff says. even though they fully can. They are the silence of sound, somehow re-
Because of Dr. Moore-Neff’s sup- spread by the people who see us as just verberates the loudest...I continue to port and mentorship, Alexandra our condition and not as people. share my story to encourage accepeventually wanted to share her story “Discounting people because they tance of what makes us unique, nothwith more students. On November have a disability negates their effort, ing more, nothing less.” 12, 2020, she gave a TED Talk for their work to live in an able world. According to the National Institute TEDxYouth@SilverSpurRd, entitled They work just as hard, if not hardThe Silence of Sound. er, than probably you guys do to live Now, because she knows how it feels not to be heard, Alexandra strives to be a role model and support system for others who feel like the “odd one out.” She knows the power of support, thanks to her mentor Dr. Sheila Moore-Neff. Dr. Moore-Neff is an educational audiologist at Hayfield Secondary. She was also Alexandra’s high school tennis coach. “Zandy had grown comfortable enough with me over time to tell me she had hearing loss,” says Dr. Moore-Neff. “All I knew at that point was that she was a great tennis player, a great leader, and a bright student.” Upon learning of Alexandra’s disability, Dr. Moore-Neff welcomed her into a support group for hearing loss. She Courtesy of Alexandra Wong helped AlexanAlexandra (r) celebrates graduation from Hayfield with her twin sister Hana. dra find local au-
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This is how the Baha enables users to hear.
Graphic: Licensed to The Zebra Press by Adobe Stock
WHAT IS COCHLEAR AND WHY IS JOHNS HOPKINS SO IMPORTANT?
BY GRACE BILLUPS ARNOLD
Station, Lutherville, MD; The Johns Hopkins Bay-
Cochlear Limited is a view Medical Center in global medical device com- Baltimore; and The Johns pany specializing in hearing Hopkins Health Care and aids and implants. Cochle- Surgery Center in Bethesar Limited headquarters are da, MD. near Sydney, Australia; Co- Johns Hopkins’ staff are chlear Americas is in Colo- specialists in hearing loss rado. research, techniques, de-
Cochlear Limited was vices, and surgeries. The founded in 1981 by Dr. Johns Hopkins University Graeme Clark, who invent- School of medicine suped the Multiple-Channel ports those with hearing Cochlear Implant. A profes- loss and gives students like sor of otolaryngology at the Alexandra research opporUniversity of Melbourne, tunities and resources. Dr. Clark is the namesake Photo: Johns Hopkins University To locate a Johns Hopof the Graeme Clark Schol- This is the Baha cochlear implant. kins center or an affiliatarship for Cochlear Nucleus ed patient care center near Implant recipients. you, visit www.hopkins-
Today, Cochlear Limited spe- Johns Hopkins is a leader in medicine.org/directions/. To request cializes in three devices: the Nu- hearing loss research and hearing an appointment with a Hopkins cleus Cochlear Implant, the Hy- aids, with four centers in Amer- Hearing audiologist, call 443-997brid Electro-Acoustic Implant, ica: The Johns Hopkins Outpa- 6467. To locate a Cochlear clinic and the Baha Implant, which The tient Center, Baltimore, MD; The near you, visit www.cochlear.com/us/ Johns Hopkins University School Johns Hopkins Health Care and en/connect/find-a-clinic. of Medicine offers. Surgery Center at Green Spring
