In this very first episode, join us as we sit down with Jess Hissam, an Executive Director at the Center for Advancement of NEXTGEN Deaf, and a vibrant content creator on Instagram and TikTok (@jess.hsquared).

Jess was born deaf and wears bilateral cochlear implants to access the hearing world and communicate with others around her. She loves sharing her story of her deaf journey, discovering her deaf identity as a cochlear implant user, and narrating her everyday experiences as a deaf woman. Her aim is to offer a perspective of her deaf community and empower families navigating the hardships of deafness within their households.

In this episode, this conversation seeks to explore Jess's hearing loss journey and discuss how important deaf representation is.