I am inspired by the caring and patient focus that speech-language pathologists bring to their work. I plan to earn my bachelor’s degree in Communicative Disorders. My goal is to help those without a voice tell their stories by becoming a Speech Language Pathologist. Many feel voiceless because of communication disorders. It is not just about doing articulation exercises and language drills – it is about sitting with and engaging with the person that has a hard time annunciating “r’s”, it is about patiently listening to the person who stutters. Communication is more than words. It is emotion, it is body language, and it is what is left unsaid. Naturally as humans, we tend to communicate with body language as well as words. Speech pathologists must listen to what's being said while noticing what’s not. As I imagine myself as a Speech Language Pathologist, I see more than myself in scrubs, taking vitals and recording charts. I see myself sitting next to a patient holding their hand and reassuring them, not only through verbal exercises, but also through my presence, making sure that they feel safe, respected, and heard. Because I know what it is like to feel like someone with no voice or afraid to share my voice, I want those around me to feel different, to be seen as people, not just a disorder. My goal is to encourage each of them to use their voices to tell their stories. After graduation, I plan to work in the field for two years to gain practical experience and a better understanding of the different needs of people with communication disorders. After gaining hands on experience, I plan to pursue my Master’s degree. My long-term goal is to give back to the community through my own community-based clinic. Here, I plan to offer personalized and culturally sensitive care to children and their families in a supportive setting. This allows a voice for those who have been excluded, misunderstood, or discriminated against because of how they communicate. I am aware of how important effective communication is for self-esteem, education, and quality of life. I plan to give back to the community through the services provided at my clinic as well as advocating for those who struggle to express themselves, making sure they feel heard, valued, and empowered. By creating a safe and encouraging environment, I hope to help children improve their communication skills, build confidence, and ultimately better their lives and future opportunities.

As a 3rd grader I was diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD. For many years, this showed itself as characteristics of lacking motivation and being disruptive in class. For me, sitting in a classroom for more than 20 minutes was difficult. I could not stay focused, and my mind drifted from what was being taught. Prior to the diagnosis this caused my grades to be low, as once my mind drifted, I missed instruction and therefore, could not complete assignments as expected. Once I was diagnosed with ADHD, my parents sought out educational resources for me to be a successful student despite the diagnosis. For a while, I was embarrassed to be the kid with ADHD. I hid it from my friends and did not want to use the accommodations that were allowed for me because I felt it would expose me. After some time, I realized that I was not alone. My diagnosis later became known as my “super-power.” I knew that like some of the other kids, I was different. I heard over and over again, “it’s ok to be different.” Once I accepted the fact that it is truly ok to be different, my thoughts completely changed. I began to embrace who I actually was and that even though I required additional help, it was ok. I’ve learned to manage my “super power” by using time management resources such as reminders and using list to ensure that I complete all tasks. I desire to help others who have “super powers” such as communication disorders to be able to overcome the challenges that once held them back from using their words to tell their life’s story. I am not able to share my story with others. I encourage others to accept and love themselves for who they are. We are all created differently and that is the beauty of the world of humans. Mental health is a real topic to communicate. No one should walk this path alone and there are professionals available. To understand one's mental health is the firs step in knowing how to move forward. At times it may get overwhelming but that is when we have to sit and reflect on what our resources are. I encourage everyone dealing with any mental illness situation to know who they are, know what triggers them and to have a village identified who understands them and that they trust.

As a 3rd grader I was diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD. For many years, this showed itself as characteristics of lacking motivation and being disruptive in class. For me, sitting in a classroom for more than 20 minutes was difficult. I could not stay focused, and my mind drifted from what was being taught. Prior to the diagnosis this caused my grades to be low, as once my mind drifted, I missed instruction and therefore, could not complete assignments as expected. Once I was diagnosed with ADHD, my parents sought out educational resources for me to be a successful student despite the diagnosis. For a while, I was embarrassed to be the kid with ADHD. I hid it from my friends and did not want to use the accommodations that were allowed for me because I felt it would expose me. After some time, I realized that I was not alone. I saw other kids taking tests in small groups and being touched on the shoulder to be reminded to stay on tasks. I became open to accepting my accommodations and I realized that these were tools to support my diagnosis. My diagnosis later became known as my “super-power.” I knew that like some of the other kids, I was different. I heard over and over again, “it’s ok to be different.” Once I accepted the fact that it is truly ok to be different, my thoughts completely changed. I began to embrace who I actually was and that even though I required additional help, it was ok. I’ve learned to manage my “super power” by using time management resources such as reminders and using list to ensure that I complete all tasks. Being different has encouraged me to pursue my educational goal in Speech Pathology. I desire to help others who have “super powers” such as communication disorders to be able to overcome the challenges that once held them back from using their words to tell their life’s story. My long-term goal is to give back to the community through my own community-based clinic. Here, I plan to offer personalized and culturally sensitive care to children and their families in a supportive setting. This allows a voice for those who have been excluded, misunderstood, or discriminated against because of how they communicate. I am aware of how important effective communication is for self-esteem, education, and quality of life. I plan to give back to the community through the services provided at my clinic as well as advocating for those who struggle to express themselves, making sure they feel heard, valued, and empowered. By creating a safe and encouraging environment, I hope to help children improve their communication skills, build confidence, and ultimately better their lives and future opportunities.

At a young age, I was diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD. For many years, this showed itself as characteristics of lacking motivation and being disruptive in class. For me, sitting in a classroom for more than 20 minutes was difficult. I could not stay focused, and my mind drifted from what was being taught. Prior to the diagnosis this caused my grades to be low, as once my mind drifted, I missed instruction and therefore, could not complete assignments as expected. Once I was diagnosed with ADHD, my parents sought out educational resources for me to be a successful student despite the diagnosis. For a while, I was embarrassed to be the kid with ADHD. I hid it from my friends and did not want to use the accommodations that were allowed for me because I felt it would expose me. After some time, I realized that I was not alone. I saw other kids taking tests in small groups and being touched on the shoulder to be reminded to stay on tasks. I became open to accepting my accommodations and I saw that these really were helping my grades. My diagnosis later became known as my “super-power.” I knew that like some of the other kids, I was different. I heard over and over again, “it’s ok to be different.” Once I accepted the fact that it is truly ok to be different, my thoughts completely changed. I began to embrace who I actually was and that even though I required additional help, it was ok. I’ve learned to manage my “super power” by using time management resources such as reminders and using list to ensure that I complete all tasks. Being different has encouraged me to pursue my educational goal in Speech Pathology. I desire to help others who have “super powers” such as communication disorders to be able to overcome the challenges that once held them back from using their words to tell their life’s story.

As a 3rd grader I was diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD. For many years, this showed itself as characteristics of lacking motivation and being disruptive in class. For me, sitting in a classroom for more than 20 minutes was difficult. I could not stay focused, and my mind drifted from what was being taught. I could feel my mind leave the classroom and I was on an adventure in another place. I didn't understand what was happening and in my mind it was my normal life. Prior to the diagnosis this caused my grades to be low, as once my mind drifted, I missed instruction and therefore, could not complete assignments as expected. Once I was diagnosed with ADHD, my parents sought out educational resources for me to be a successful student despite the diagnosis. For a while, I was embarrassed to be the kid with ADHD. I hid it from my friends and did not want to use the accommodations that were allowed for me because I felt it would expose me. After some time, I realized that I was not alone. I began to embrace who I actually was and that even though I required additional help, it was ok. I understood that in a school of kids, everyone had something different about them. I saw other kids taking tests in small groups and being touched on the shoulder to be reminded to stay on tasks. I became open to accepting my accommodations and I saw that these really were helping my grades. My diagnosis later became known as my “super-power.” I knew that like some of the other kids, I was different. I heard over and over again, “it’s ok to be different.” Once I accepted the fact that it is truly ok to be different, my thoughts completely changed. I’ve learned to manage my “super power” by using time management resources such as reminders and using list to ensure that I complete all tasks. I am now and honor student and have excelled in the classroom and in sports. I dare not allow this to keep me from my dream of college. I have embraced it and work hard to ensure that I am doing what is necessary to continue to be successful in classroom. Being different has encouraged me to pursue my educational goal in Speech Pathology. I desire to help others who have “super powers” such as communication disorders to be able to overcome the challenges that once held them back from using their words to tell their life’s story.

Growing up in a single parent household has taught me that when obstacles arise in life, it is important that we are able to PIVOT. Being able to access what is happening in front of you, regroup, come up with an alternative plan and continue to work toward your goal is still possible. It is important to now allow obstacles to overcome and distract you from your goal. I’ve learned that being flexible and staying focused on the end goal is important. Learning to adjust builds the characters of tenacity and strength. Life will bring unexpected occurrences. To be able to accept those unexpected events and use the positive factors of the event is what will build tenacity and the drive to stay the course. I plan to use the traits of tenacity and flexibility in my everyday life to adjust life’s plan when this is necessary. Whether it is changing a scheduled class to accommodate for a wanted internship or to change my work schedule due to the need to add additional study hours, I understand that flexibility is so important in life. My goal is to become a speech pathologist in my local community to help students who struggle with communication. After completing my studies to receive a Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorder and then a Masters of Speech Pathology, I plan to own a clinic that services individuals with speech disorders. I know that there will be times when flexibility will be necessary. Client schedule changes and required training are just a few things that may require me to PIVOT and change what was originally planned. Being available to make the necessary adjustments in my business to service my future clients is what is most important in my future plans of becoming a Licensed Speech Pathologist.