I would say that my passion for children and the healthcare/childcare industry has been embedded in me for as long as I can remember. To begin, my mother opened a Daycare when I started elementary school. Due to me being the only child, I looked at her enrolled students as my brother and sisters, and this sentiment still stands to this day. When I started middle school, I came to the realization that I truly loved working with children and helping shape their future. My middle school years were pivotal, because during this era of my life, I found a career that really interests me. As we know, not being able to communicate effectively can impact an individual physically, mentally, and emotionally. However, my future career tackles this issue head on. This career field happens to be Speech Language Pathology. A Speech Language Pathologist assesses, treats, diagnoses, and focuses on prevention of individuals with speech and language disorders. Furthermore, one of the children enrolled in my mother’s daycare at the time had a speech impairment, and an SLP would come weekly to help the child. The combination of sessions with the SLP and my mother, the child progressed tremendously, and he now communicates effectively. These events truly inspired what I now study in college. My name is Sarah Morris, and I’m currently a Junior at the University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign majoring in Speech and Hearing Sciences. I have aspirations to become a Speech Language Pathologist with a concentration of working with children. Therefore, becoming a speech language pathologist is a career goal of mine. I love the art of speech language pathology, because it is very rewarding and beneficial for the patients as well as the pathologist. Throughout the process the clients/patients begin to progress and feel more comfortable communicating or even formulating clear and concise sentences. In addition to the field, I believe discovering speech language pathology helped me grow as a person. Beforehand, I used to be timid and refrained from actively engaging in open-ended conversations during class time. However, while navigating through high school and now college, I enjoy engaging in discussions and sharing my thoughts with my peers and professors. I believe that it is vital to select a profession that you enjoy but can also learn from in the long run. The profession of Speech Language Pathology allows me to work with children while always still being involved in the healthcare/ childcare industry. After successfully completing my bachelor's degree, I plan on attending Grad school to obtain my master's degree. In the future, I want to be the CEO of a Speech Language Pathology facility where other SLP, specialists, and audiologists can work. Children are the future, and if good is poured into them at an early age, they too, will pour good things into the world. By the grace of God, I hope to inspire many individuals (especially children) in the future and have a positive impact on their lives for the years to come.