Please give any pointers or criticism! THANKS!!!!
My life experiences coupled with my education and work in the field have prepared me for life as a Speech Pathologist. My journey was not a straightforward and easy path, but one of pitfalls and perseverance. I hope my experiences of trying to become a Speech Pathologist will cause you to reduce your concentration on statistical measures of actions and to focus more on who I am and what I am striving to become, a Speech Pathologist.
When I became serious about what I wanted to do for a career I thought of the old adage, "Choose something that you love and you won't have to work a day in your life." I loved being around kids and helping others but I also had a love of language since learning Portuguese while in Brazil for 2 years. I originally was drawn to being an elementary school teacher because of my love for kids. I worked at an after school program for elementary aged children for a year and loved it. I preferred working one on one or in small groups with the kids as it enhanced my ability to make a difference. After this experience at the YMCA I began to research other careers that would allow me to do what I love as well as provide me with employment opportunities in the future.
I never knew what a Speech Pathologist was until I ran into my high school counselor at the grocery store where I was working in the summer of 2009. I told her my plans of being an educator of some kind, but that I did not know what was right for me. She mentioned Speech Pathology and urged me to look into it. I looked into the profession and was intrigued because the profession involved helping children with speech and language, which was another interest of mine. The following school year I worked with middle school students in a resource specialist program class as an instructional aide. While there, I was able to take part in IEP's, as the scribe, and see the SLP's involvement in the lives of many of the students I worked with. I took a great interest in the profession since it consists of two of my favorite things; helping others grow and working with kids. I soon realized that it would not be enough to merely be convinced that Speech Pathology was the right career path for me, but that I would need to think and act so that I would become a Speech pathologist.
I would like to point out that all of my schooling before this point in my life was done by just going through the motions. I went to college after high school because it was what most kids did after high school. I had no idea what I wanted to do for a career or profession and so I had no desire to do well, but only a desire to go through the motions to appease my family and peers. This is where the pitfalls and perseverance kick in. I was a 2.0 student with no ambition (2005-2009) before finding a major and career path that I was interested in. Change can be hard. I had to learn to love school and love learning, but with effort, determination and perseverance I developed into a 3.3-3.4(2010-2013) student whose lowest grades stem from 2 online classes(C and B-) and a class where I missed an assignment coupled with an ankle injury (C-Spring 13').
Upon completing my degree in communicative disorders in May of 2013 I sought out opportunities to gain experiences that would be valuable to my future as a SLP. I currently work as a NueroPhysical Trainer (NPT) where I have 750+ hours working with kids and adults with OCD, ADD, ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, and Autism. I do everything from the initial intake where the brain map is performed to provide parents with feedback after every session. Sessions include Nuerofeedback, Biofeedback (Stress) and Fast Forward (reading intervention program). In September (2013) I attained a second job as a "speech specialist" where I currently have 125+ hours of working at two different middle schools and two different high schools. A speech specialist is a SLP who works under a one-year credential waiver from the state of California. I have a caseload of 30 students, most of which Spanish is their first language. My duties include giving speech services, logging session notes and participating in IEP's for each student. I also shadowed a SLP at a skilled nursing facility once a week during the summer (2013) where I was able to learn of the many therapies used by a speech therapist within the SNF setting.
My life experiences coupled with my education and work in the field have prepared me for graduate school as a Speech Pathologist at ________University. My educational experiences have taught me that I work best when I have a heavier workload, am in smaller class sizes and am part of a structured program. My work and life experiences have taught me that I excel when I have a busier schedule, I have good interpersonal communication skills, I am patient and calm under pressure, and that I love languages and helping others. All of these experiences give me the tools to be part of the fall, 2014 cohort and provide me the opportunity to represent the _________ in the field of Speech & Language Pathology for decades to come.
..a class where I missed an assignment coupled with an ankle injury (C-Spring 13').
I don't think this piece of writing would help you positively. The SOP is about your passion for that particular field, how it developed, what you did to pursue the passion, what you aspire to be in that field and how this program would help you achieve them. It speaks about your proudest accomplishments and the dearest dreams. So, I don't think this sort of confession is really adding value to a SOP, instead may work against you.
thank you... I agree... I actually shortened that paragraph to the last 2 sesntences to more focus on my accomplishments and expreiences:
I was a 2.0 student with no ambition (2005-2009) before finding a major and career path that I was interested in. Change can be hard. I had to learn to love school and love learning, but with effort, determination and perseverance I developed into a 3.3-3.4(2010-2013) student whose lowest grades stem from 2 online classes(C and B-) and a class where I missed an assignment coupled with an ankle injury (C-Spring 13').
