Her son experienced middle ear pathology requiring surgery when he was young – and she knows first-hand how important hearing is to all areas of development. 

Ms Kopke-Bennett was the first student to graduate with a Masters in Clinical Audiology from the Charles Darwin University Faculty of Health. 

She now works for NT Hearing Services, often travelling to remote Indigenous communities to conduct hearing tests and treat patients. 

“I know how much hearing loss can affect someone’s education, work opportunities and social life,” she says. 

“It’s unacceptable that a first world country such as Australia should have such a high rate of middle ear disease. We should be doing more to prevent hearing loss by addressing the social determinants to health.” 

Ms Kopke-Bennett is full of praise for the education she received at CDU. 

“My course was very intensive,” she says. “There were several clinical placements as part of the masters course. It helped me appreciate the depth and breadth of clinical audiology from an acute perspective to the more routine hearing checks conducted in urban clinics.” 

Her masters included clinical placements with NT Hearing, Royal Darwin Hospital and Arafura Audiology. 

“ I am very appreciative of the support and mentoring I received on these placements and subsequently as an audiologist intern with NT Hearing Services.” TQ