Tessa Smolinksi ’14 Likes the Sound of Her Audiology Career
By Judith Kelliher
On a daily basis at her job at the Ear, Nose & Throat Institute of Connecticut, Tessa Smolinski ’14 works with a wide range of patients—from those who are completely deaf to individuals with no hearing loss but other ear-related concerns like tinnitus or vertigo. As an audiologist, her role is multifaceted: she conducts hearing tests, fits patients for hearing aids and cochlear implants, and evaluates balance and dizziness, among other responsibilities.
Some days are difficult, particularly when she has to share tough news about hearing loss. But more often, her work is filled with rewarding successes.
“The best part of my job is seeing patients thrive with their amplification,” Tessa explains. “They come in struggling to communicate, and whether I am fitting them with hearing aids, cochlear implants, or bone-anchored hearing devices, it is incredible to see how much easier it becomes for them to connect with others.”
Tessa credits her trajectory in this profession as starting with her undergraduate education at Springfield College. She graduated in 2014 with a degree in Communication Disorders (now Communication Sciences and Disorders) and a minor in Psychology. From there, she went on to earn her Doctor of Audiology degree from the University of Connecticut (UConn) in 2018. After UConn, she spent five years as an audiologist at ProHealth Hearing and Balance before moving into her current role at the Ear, Nose & Throat Institute of Connecticut, where she collaborates closely with medical doctors in a clinical setting.
As part of the College's Communication Disorders program, she took classes in both speech-language pathology and audiology. Her interest in communication-related fields began as a teenager volunteering with the Special Olympics. From that experience, she noticed many athletes needed speech therapy. As she learned more, it piqued her interest in that field.
Initially, she thought she would pursue speech-language pathology, but everything shifted after taking audiology courses at the College. She recalls one pivotal class in particular: Intro to Audiology, a 2.5-hour Monday evening course taught by a professor who worked as an audiologist at Mercy Hospital in Springfield.
“With every class, I was captivated from start to finish,” she says. “That course made me realize this was exactly what I wanted to do with my career.”
Minoring in Psychology was the perfect complement to what would eventually be her work as an audiologist.
“A big part of my job is counseling patients,” she explains. “I am often the one telling them they have a hearing loss or that they need hearing aids. Those psychology classes were instrumental in teaching me how to communicate difficult news with compassion and understanding.”
Whether a student decides to pursue a career in speech-language pathology or audiology, Tessa believes Springfield College is a special place to provide a strong foundation.
“Most audiologists I know started out thinking they would be speech therapists and then changed their minds,” she says. “The Communication Sciences and Disorders major gives you the education to explore both options. Springfield College is known for helping people, and this field fits perfectly with that mission.”
While at Springfield College, Tessa was a four-year starter on the volleyball team, during which time she earned All-American status three times. She found being a student-athlete beneficial to her educational pursuits and beyond.
“No matter what career path you choose, you have to work with people—whether it is coworkers, patients, or clients,” she says. “Being part of a team taught me how to build relationships, how to work with people who think differently, time management, teamwork, discipline, and leadership. Those lessons are just as important as what I learned in the classroom. It was one of the best things I was able to add to my resume."
