[May 20, 2013] Student sounds upbeat notes Tweet May 19, 2013 (The Leader-Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- CHIPPEWA FALLS -- Madeline Gustafson doesn't remember a time when she didn't have hearing aids or didn't need to read lips to understand people. "I have moderate to severe (hearing) loss," Gustafson said. "Lower tones are a little better for me. Women's voices -- I have trouble picking them up." Gustafson said she was 4 months old when she got her first hearing aids. She has never let it slow her down. "With my hearing loss, I've always tried to push myself," she said. Along with her 4.0 grade-point average, she is in advanced placement calculus, chemistry, psychology and English literature. Chippewa Falls physics teacher Nicholas Gagnon said Gustafson is an amazing student. "She is one of the most intelligent, hardworking and inspirational students I've ever had in my classroom," Gagnon said. When Gustafson was a sophomore she wore a microphone to class every day, but in recent years she has become so good at reading lips she rarely brings it anymore. "I can't imagine trying to learn AP physics without hearing what is said in class," Gagnon said. "Maddie doesn't let her disability define her. In many ways I think it makes her stronger." Along with being stellar academically, Gustafson has competed in volleyball and track the past four years, and was track team captain this spring. Additionally, she tried her hand at a new sport -- gymnastics -- last winter, saying she wanted to try something new in her final year of school. She loved the sport. "I wish I had started it earlier," she said. In a team sport such as volleyball, Gustafson said, there is sometimes some confusion over whether she should be going for the ball. "Sometimes, it's hard to communicate with your teammates," she said. "It's not too difficult. I've gotten used to it, but it can be challenging." Away from school, Gustafson prefers to hang out with friends rather than go to movies. She is used to watching TV with the closed captioning on, and she admits movies can be a bit hard to follow. "Sometimes, I miss out on the punch line, and I don't want to ask people to repeat things," she said. Gustafson has grown up in Chippewa Falls. She attended St. Charles and Holy Ghost parochial schools, then switched to the public schools in middle school. After graduating, Gustafson plans to attend UW-Madison and pursue a degree in biomedical engineering. Vetter can be reached at 715-723-0303 or [email protected]. ___ (c)2013 Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.) Visit the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.) at www.leadertelegram.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]