Ohio Valley Voices
news & updates
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Congratulations to the
OVV Class of 2022!
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In May, OVV honored the class of 2022 at our annual
graduation ceremony. The event, our first public graduation
since the start of the pandemic, was a loving tribute to this year's grads and a joyful reminder of why we do what we do.
We are so proud of our six graduates, whose hard work
and perseverance have earned them a spot in mainstream
schools and a permanent place in our hearts.
Thanks to the many community members who attended
the ceremony and gave our grads a loving send-off.
And, most of all, congrats to the OVV class of 2022!
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Good luck and stay in
touch, 2022 graduates!
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Have an impact now! Sign up to be an OVV monthly donor! |
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Student Spotlight - Theo Murphy |
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Janet Li describes her son Theo Murphy as “a very happy and confident boy.” “He’s goofy, and a bit of a ham, and he likes to make friends with everyone he meets,” she continues. “He loves to laugh but loves making other people laugh even more”—qualities, in short, that make him right at home at Ohio Valley Voices.
Theo was born in 2016 with microtia atresia, a congenital birth defect that meant his ears were not fully formed and had no ear canals. Although a significant degree of hearing loss was to be expected, tests revealed that Theo did have some access to sound. Janet and her husband, Mike Murphy, were so relieved.
The next step following Theo’s diagnosis was to find the right school. Thankfully, Janet’s parents lived down the street from Ohio Valley Voices and her mom mentioned it while Theo was still in the NICU.
“We toured the school right away and were in awe of the work they were doing,” Janet recalls. “As we explored our options, we were drawn to OVV’s mission to teach children who are deaf and hard of hearing to speak, as opposed to other programs that focus on teaching sign language. Once it was clear that Theo was a good candidate for the school, we were eager to enroll him full-time.” (read more)
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Staff Spotlight - Danielle Simmons |
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A native of Akron, Ohio, Danielle Simmons received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Kent State University in Speech Language Pathology. Upon graduating in 2015, Danielle began her journey at Ohio Valley Voices in the Discovery Center as a Listening and Spoken Language Provider (LSLP).
While in graduate school, Danielle had become increasingly interested in deaf education. At that point, she had little experience working with individuals with hearing loss, so she sought out opportunities to learn more. As graduation neared, Danielle began job searching and found an ad for a position at OVV. Danielle was immediately inspired by the organization and, to her relief, OVV was hiring.
Danielle interviewed with OVV Executive Director Maria Sentelik, who gave her a tour of the school. Reflecting on her initial visit, Danielle says, “I was surprised to see how well all the children communicated. It opened my eyes to a whole new realm of possibilities for children with hearing loss.” She knew she was ready to take the next step in her professional career by applying her skills at OVV.
Danielle was hired quickly thereafter, and she has played an integral role at Ohio Valley Voices ever since. After joining OVV, she worked for six years as an LSLP, spending time in both the Discovery and Learning Centers, before transitioning into the role of Exploring Center Coordinator... (read more)
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Give our kids fun and useful tools through OVV's Amazon Wishlist! |
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Join us tomorrow June 11th for the...
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OVV Fundraiser VIP Class at Orangetheory Mason! |
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All proceeds from the event will
support the children of OVV on their
speaking journeys, so don't miss it!
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Supporter Spotlight - Carl DeBlasio |
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Each of us has defining moments in our lives that propel us forward into action. For Carl DeBlasio and his wife, Linda, learning that their granddaughter, Lily, was hearing impaired was one such moment.
“I first heard about Ohio Valley Voices from my daughter, Gina, whose friend served on OVV’s Board of Trustees,” Carl recalls. “We were researching educational opportunities for my seventeen-month-old granddaughter who had just been diagnosed as hearing impaired. When a child is first diagnosed, parents often envision a life of silence and isolation for their child, and nothing could be further from the truth.”
“What makes OVV and its mission special is the gift of hope it provides to families of children with hearing loss,” Carl continues. “OVV offers hearing impaired children an opportunity to listen and speak.” The DeBlasio family has been involved with OVV since Lily was a student there from 2010 to 2016. They now support OVV through their donations and by attending OVV fashion shows, silent auctions, tailgates, and Flying Pig fundraisers.
“We’ve been involved with Ohio Valley Voices for over twelve years now, and we’re never disappointed whenever we visit,” Carl says. “It’s consistently a place of positivity and hard work. Due in large part to OVV, our granddaughter Lily is thriving. She’s an active, typical 13-year old...” (read more)
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Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest OVV updates! |
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New Employee Announcement |
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Welcome to OVV,
Jeanne and Daria!
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Jeanne Jentsch - Development Director
Jeanne Jentsch is a Wisconsin native who recently moved to Cincinnati. She graduated twice from Concordia College—first, in 1987, with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and again, twenty years later, with an MBA. Between earning those degrees, Jeanne raised a family in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. She has two adult children—Beatrice, who lives in Wisconsin with her husband Dustin and their two dogs, and Joseph, who recently joined his mother in Cincinnati. She has worked for over twenty-five years in the non-profit industry, primarily at youth organizations.
When she's not working, Jeanne enjoys reading and traveling, two hobbies she indulged during the COVID-19 pandemic while living with her sister in Costa Rica. Although she has enjoyed her time in Cincinnati, the heat and humidity came as a shock and she now realizes that living near Lake Michigan had its perks. Jeanne is absolutely thrilled to be part of the OVV family and looks forward to serving the children enrolled in the program as the organization's new Development Director.
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Daria Denysenko - Development Assistant
Daria Denysenko is originally from Ukraine and graduated from Morehead State University with a degree in Jazz Studies Vocal Performance. In 2017, she worked as an Assistant Producer on the Eurovision Song Contest, and in 2021 she joined the marketing team of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Out of these experiences, she developed passionate interests in event planning and non-profit fundraising, both of which inspired her to apply to Ohio Valley Voices.
In her spare time, Daria teaches private piano and vocal lessons at the Cincinnati School of Music and enjoys spending time with her boyfriend and their cat Earl and basset hound Buttercup. She is very excited to be part of the Ohio Valley Voices team.
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Special Thanks to These Partners: |
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