My name is Molly Dwyer, and I am pursuing a career in speech-language pathology. The field of communication disorders requires patience, adaptability, and a passion for helping others. Recognizing these traits in myself at a young age motivated me to pursue my passion for serving others. Reading about the impact the staff had on Rebecca is inspiring, and I hope to provide that same impact to the individuals I work with in the future. Throughout my academic endeavors, I have had the opportunity to work alongside an array of individuals in home settings, schools, shelters, and more. This solidified my passion for working with children and deepened my understanding of the importance of communication and making individuals feel heard. This past fall of my senior year at UMass Amherst, I was given the opportunity to be a caregiver/companion for a teenage girl living with cerebral palsy in the community. She is non-verbal, yet has taught me so much about communication. I was able to learn her interests, dislikes, and personality through a variety of different communication methods. This role required patience, but it was a shared journey. As I was learning her preferences and quirks, she was patient with me in return. We were able to communicate through touch. I gave her questions, and she answered with a grasp of my hand. She introduced me to her augmentative and alternative communication device, and we were able to interact with the games and prompts it provides. From my experiences as a caregiver/companion, I have learned many things that I will carry with me into my career. As a future clinician, I aim to engage the children I assist by incorporating their passions into intervention. Activities such as board games, music, and movies can motivate children to want to participate in the intervention. I aspire to create a space where my students feel comfortable and look forward to. Each child has different needs, abilities, and interests, and I will provide them with an individualized plan that addresses both their needs and interests. I believe that family plays a huge role in the education and progress of a disabled child. Family should be a child's strongest source of support, strength, and advocacy. The family can provide information that can help a clinician personalize their intervention to the child. I would involve the family in activities to engage the child and encourage practicing at home. I would provide the education and tools for families to practice strategies at home so that they become part of the child’s daily life. My coursework and experiences have continued to reinforce my commitment and passion for the field of speech-language pathology, and I believe this scholarship would assist me greatly in the process of getting there. Choosing to attend graduate school immediately after completing my undergraduate degree was a challenging decision because I had already taken out significant student loans to cover tuition and rent during my undergraduate years. Ultimately, I decided to begin my program this fall. I was super grateful that my parents offered me the opportunity to live at home for the duration of the program. To prepare financially, I worked overtime throughout the summer and plan to continue waitressing during the school year. I am seeking scholarships and teaching assistant positions to help with tuition. Despite challenges, I remain committed to pursuing a career as a SLP so that I can take part in a child’s story the way Rebecca’s staff took part in hers. Rebecca’s story reiterates the impact that patience, commitment, and passion can have on a child’s life.

My name is Molly Dwyer, and I am pursuing a career in speech-language pathology. The field of communication disorders requires patience, adaptability, and a passion for helping others. Recognizing these traits in myself at a young age motivated me to pursue my passion for serving others. Reading about the impact the staff had on Rebecca is inspiring, and I hope to provide that same impact to the individuals I work with in the future. Throughout my academic endeavors, I have had the opportunity to work alongside an array of individuals in multiple settings. This has given me a deeper understanding of the power of communication and the importance of making people feel heard and valued. As an undergraduate student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, I have had the opportunity to work with children with different abilities and backgrounds. This has opened my eyes to the importance of adaptability and personalizing intervention. This past fall, I was given the opportunity to be a caregiver/companion for a teenage girl living with cerebral palsy in the community. She is non-verbal, yet has taught me so much about communication. I was able to learn her likes, dislikes, and personality through a variety of different communication methods. This role required patience, but it was a shared journey. As I was learning her preferences and quirks, she was patient with me in return. We are able to communicate through touch. I give her questions, and she answers with a grasp of my hand. She introduced me to her augmentative and alternative communication device, and we are able to interact with the games and prompts it provides. From my experiences as a caregiver/companion, I have learned many things that I will carry with me into my career. As a future clinician, I aim to engage the children I assist by incorporating their passions into intervention. Activities such as board games, music, and movies can motivate a child to want to work with you. I aspire to have my students feel comfortable and look forward to meeting with me. I plan to approach every child and situation with an open mindset. Each child has different needs, abilities, and interests, and I will provide them with an individualized plan that addresses both their needs and interests. I believe that family plays a huge role in the education and progress of a disabled child. Family should be a child's strongest source of support, strength, and advocacy. The family can also provide information that can help a clinician personalize their intervention to the child. I would involve the family in activities and interventions to engage the child and encourage practicing at home. I would provide the education and tools for families to practice strategies at home so that they become part of the child’s daily life. My coursework and experiences have continued to reinforce my commitment and passion for the field of speech-language pathology. This scholarship will allow me to further my education and earn my speech-language pathologist license so I can support children like Rebecca. Rebecca’s story reiterates the impact that patience, commitment, and passion can have on a child’s life.