Ayris Franklin
Ayris joined Pine Tree Society’s Audiology Department as a clinical audiologist in 2020. Her focus is on diagnostic testing and amplification for adults. She discovered her passion for audiology as a student at Wichita State University, where she graduated with a degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a concentration in Deafness and hard-of-hearing. “My mom is a special education teacher and I always knew I wanted to go into the health profession, I just wasn’t sure what,” she recalled. That all changed when she read a book about a child with behavioral issues who had lost his ability to communicate when he became Deaf as an infant. That was a turning point for her. “I knew I wanted to help people with hearing loss.” Ayris earned her Clinical Doctorate of Audiology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and completed her externship at the renowned Michigan Ear Institute. When she found Pine Tree Society, she knew she’d found her happy place. “I know I’m making a difference in people’s lives. I’ve seen people absolutely transform with the right set of hearing aids. They go from being withdrawn to blossoming because they can engage in conversation again.”