Jessica Nieva Whitehead’s eyes sparkle when she talks about her career as a dentist, the idea of helping people and about her time as a student at CID. Jessica graduated from the University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Dentistry in 2001, earning her BA in Biology and her DDS.
Jessica is profoundly deaf in both ears. Her parents brought her to CID when she was 2. She graduated from CID in 1985, at age 10. She was able to mainstream successfully and said she is grateful for the education she received at CID. “I remember a deep, deep caring and a great sense of belonging to a very close-knit family,” she said. “The teachers really encouraged us and instilled a lot of confidence in me. Because of CID, I know I can go out and achieve anything. I have no barriers.“
Today, Jessica is enjoying a thriving private dental practice in Fenton, Missouri. In 2006, she received bilateral cochlear implants. She said she can now hear sounds she couldn’t hear with her hearing aids—including her children’s voices.