My name is Molly Dwyer, and I am pursuing a career in speech-language pathology to make a positive social impact by serving individuals with special needs. 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 people with a diverse set of needs. Throughout my academic and personal experiences, I have had the opportunity to work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across multiple settings. These experiences have given me a better understanding of the power of communication and the importance of making people feel heard, valued, and connected. As an undergraduate student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I worked with individuals with a wide range of abilities and backgrounds. These interactions opened my eyes to the importance of personalizing intervention to meet each individual’s specific needs. During this time, I had the opportunity to work as a respite care provider for an eight-year-old boy with Down syndrome in my community. My role involved supporting him with his after-school routine, organizing fun activities for us to do, and helping him navigate communication challenges. His positive perspective and constant curiosity strengthened my desire to work in a field where I can continue supporting individuals like him. This past spring, I also had the opportunity to be a caregiver and companion for a teenage girl living with cerebral palsy. Although she is nonverbal, she has taught me so much about communication. I learned her likes, dislikes, and personality through a variety of communication methods. She introduced me to her augmentative and alternative communication device, and we interacted through the games and prompts it provided. From these experiences as a caregiver and respite provider, I have gained insight, compassion, and skills that I will carry with me into my career serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As a future speech-language pathologist, I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to engage in meaningful social activities that give their lives purpose. Communication is the foundation of identity, connection, and participation. My goal as a SLP is to help individuals reclaim their voices, strengthen their connections with others, and fully participate in the world around them, regardless of their disability or communication style. My coursework and experiences have continued to reinforce my commitment to making a positive social impact within the special needs community. These individuals and personal experiences have shaped my perspective in the field and inspired my career path.

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 people with a diverse set of needs. Throughout my academic and personal experiences, I have had the opportunity to work with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across multiple settings. These experiences have given me a better understanding of the power of communication and the importance of making people feel heard, valued, and connected. As an undergraduate student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, I worked with individuals with a wide range of abilities and backgrounds. These interactions opened my eyes to the importance of personalizing intervention to meet each individual’s specific needs. During this time, I had the opportunity to work as a respite care provider for an 8-year-old boy with Down syndrome in my community. My role involved supporting him with his after-school routine, organizing fun activities for us to do, and helping him navigate communication challenges. His positive perspective and constant curiosity strengthened my desire to work in a field where I can continue supporting individuals like him. This past spring, I also had the opportunity to be a caregiver and companion for a teenage girl living with cerebral palsy. Although she is nonverbal, she has taught me so much about communication. I learned her likes, dislikes, and personality through a variety of communication methods. She introduced me to her augmentative and alternative communication device, and we interacted through the games and prompts it provided. From these experiences as a caregiver and respite provider, I have gained insight, compassion, and skills that I will carry with me into my career working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As a future speech-language pathologist, I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to engage in meaningful social activities that give their lives purpose. Communication is the foundation of identity, connection, and participation. My goal as a SLP is to help individuals reclaim their voices, strengthen their connections with others, and fully participate in the world around them, regardless of their disability or communication style. My coursework and experiences have continued to reinforce my commitment and passion for supporting the intellectual disability community. This scholarship will allow me to further my education and earn my license as a speech-language pathologist so I can continue working with children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These individuals and personal experiences have shaped my perspective in the field and inspired my career path.

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.