As a first generation American, my first taste of the communication obstacles that individuals can face related to my parents' bilingualism. This early experience with communication difficulties paired with my increasing awareness of the different forms that communication disorders can appear, fuels my desire to apply to the Speech-Language Pathology master's program at **********.
My immigrant parents did an amazing job teaching themselves to communicate with my peers, their parents, and the teachers I had; however, there were often speed bumps along the way. In the third grade, I remember a teacher laughing at the fact that my mother and I referred to cell phones as "seg phones." When I informed my mother, a Polish native, of how wrong we were we could not stop laughing. Instances like this still happen all the time! Recently, my roommates informed me that what I use in the shower is called a loofah, not a sponge. While I love the little communication quirks that come with a multi-lingual family, not everyone is as accepting. I realized how difficult it could be for my parents to communicate during my sixth grade parent teacher conference. My father, a Colombian, was having the toughest time understanding what my teacher was saying; this young woman was either unable or unwilling to work around the communication barrier - instead she became frustrated and a bit rude.
Bilingualism initially interested me in studying communication disorders; it was in "Introduction to Communication Disorders," after watching a video on the rehabilitation of veterans that suffered traumatic brain injuries that I knew I had made the right choice in pursing speech-language pathology. This confirmation motivated me to shadow speech-language pathologists in private practice and school settings. With each experience, I learned about administering tests, planning lessons for students, and tactics for dealing with children who may not be as into therapy sessions as you.
A particular experience while shadowing in a private practice opened yet another door in the field of speech-language pathology. One evening, three autistic children came in for a group session that I was lucky enough to participate in. The children were full of energy and unable to focus on the activities. A music therapist also led this session, so we used singing and games to help center the children, practice introducing themselves, take turns with one another, and follow directions. This experience sparked my interest in the autistic population, thus pushing me to land an Undergraduate Research Assistant position in *********'s Early Detection and Optimal Outcome studies. My ongoing experiences in this lab have helped me gain a greater understanding of the steps that go into large-scale studies. Prior to working with *******, I conducted research with the Human Development and Family Studies department, investigating the effects of paternal mental health on father-child relationship quality. This was my first research experience and allowed me to be involved in every aspect, including creating posters and papers to present at conferences.
My aspiration to continue being involved in research is one reason that I am applying for the Master's program at ********. The numerous amounts of research projects coupled with the connections that this program has to various facilities in Boston is one aspect that truly influences my application to this program. While my current research experience is with autism, I have also had an interest in aphasia; the work of ********* and her tour of the Aphasia Center during an Open House further cement my goal to contribute to aphasia or traumatic brain injury research.
At that Open House, ****** had said that ****** "wants to graduate leaders of the field." Being a leader in the field of speech-language pathology, someone that continues to challenge himself or herself and pushes those around them to do the same, is something I aspire to and feel that I can accomplish with a degree from ********. I am currently enrolled in "Neuroscience of Cognitive and Communicative Disorders" and have never been more challenged by a course; it requires hours of reading, hundreds of pages of notes, and multiple moments where I find myself thinking "how am I going to put this all together?" This course is the first in my major that has truly pushed me to my limits and I have loved every minute of it. With a focus and deep interest in neuroscience, I will come to the Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology program at ********** as a student that thrives when she is challenged and that will use her curiosity to discover ways to influence the field of speech-language pathology and become a leader.
My immigrant parents did an amazing job teaching themselves to communicate with my peers, their parents, and the teachers I had; however, there were often speed bumps along the way. In the third grade, I remember a teacher laughing at the fact that my mother and I referred to cell phones as "seg phones." When I informed my mother, a Polish native, of how wrong we were we could not stop laughing. Instances like this still happen all the time! Recently, my roommates informed me that what I use in the shower is called a loofah, not a sponge. While I love the little communication quirks that come with a multi-lingual family, not everyone is as accepting. I realized how difficult it could be for my parents to communicate during my sixth grade parent teacher conference. My father, a Colombian, was having the toughest time understanding what my teacher was saying; this young woman was either unable or unwilling to work around the communication barrier - instead she became frustrated and a bit rude.
Bilingualism initially interested me in studying communication disorders; it was in "Introduction to Communication Disorders," after watching a video on the rehabilitation of veterans that suffered traumatic brain injuries that I knew I had made the right choice in pursing speech-language pathology. This confirmation motivated me to shadow speech-language pathologists in private practice and school settings. With each experience, I learned about administering tests, planning lessons for students, and tactics for dealing with children who may not be as into therapy sessions as you.
A particular experience while shadowing in a private practice opened yet another door in the field of speech-language pathology. One evening, three autistic children came in for a group session that I was lucky enough to participate in. The children were full of energy and unable to focus on the activities. A music therapist also led this session, so we used singing and games to help center the children, practice introducing themselves, take turns with one another, and follow directions. This experience sparked my interest in the autistic population, thus pushing me to land an Undergraduate Research Assistant position in *********'s Early Detection and Optimal Outcome studies. My ongoing experiences in this lab have helped me gain a greater understanding of the steps that go into large-scale studies. Prior to working with *******, I conducted research with the Human Development and Family Studies department, investigating the effects of paternal mental health on father-child relationship quality. This was my first research experience and allowed me to be involved in every aspect, including creating posters and papers to present at conferences.
My aspiration to continue being involved in research is one reason that I am applying for the Master's program at ********. The numerous amounts of research projects coupled with the connections that this program has to various facilities in Boston is one aspect that truly influences my application to this program. While my current research experience is with autism, I have also had an interest in aphasia; the work of ********* and her tour of the Aphasia Center during an Open House further cement my goal to contribute to aphasia or traumatic brain injury research.
At that Open House, ****** had said that ****** "wants to graduate leaders of the field." Being a leader in the field of speech-language pathology, someone that continues to challenge himself or herself and pushes those around them to do the same, is something I aspire to and feel that I can accomplish with a degree from ********. I am currently enrolled in "Neuroscience of Cognitive and Communicative Disorders" and have never been more challenged by a course; it requires hours of reading, hundreds of pages of notes, and multiple moments where I find myself thinking "how am I going to put this all together?" This course is the first in my major that has truly pushed me to my limits and I have loved every minute of it. With a focus and deep interest in neuroscience, I will come to the Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology program at ********** as a student that thrives when she is challenged and that will use her curiosity to discover ways to influence the field of speech-language pathology and become a leader.
