Graduate / Speech Language Pathology Graduate School Personal Statement [3]

Communication starts at the moment of birth. The first time an infant cries he is communicating with his mother. Imagine that as this child grows his ability to communicate is hindered by cleft lip and cleft palate. I have experienced this with my younger cousin. I have seen his frustration as the people around him cannot understand what he is trying to say. As we age we take the ability to communicate for granted. We communicate every day without giving it a second thought. Imagine that a women's ability to communicate is suddenly lost following a stroke. I have seen my grandmother endure this struggle. After her stroke, my grandmother struggled to communicate with her loved ones. If it were not for the hard work and dedication of speech-language pathologists, my cousin and grandmother would not be communicating so effectively today. These experiences with my family have guided me to find my passion for speech and language.

Through out my time as an undergraduate student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program, I have gained qualities that make me an excellent candidate for the graduate program at ____________. I have gained research experience through my senior honors capstone project. During my senior honors capstone project I have been working with Dr. Ying Guo on her literacy research. In all of my years as an undergraduate student, I have been a working student. I have been able to achieve a 3.85 GPA while also working an average of 25 hours per week. My time as a working student has taught me the time management skills which will be essential in graduate school. I have learned the importance of service through my volunteer work at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). While volunteering at CCHMC I worked closely with speech pathologists in the speech language pathology department. I have also participated in various volunteer opportunities through my involvement in the National Student Speech-Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA).

In 2008, I spent eight days in Santa Avelina, Guatemala for a service trip. It was during this trip that I realized just what little access these people had to health care. When I returned home from Guatemala, I knew that I wanted to continue doing service abroad. This trip sparked my interest in serving abroad as well as bilingualism and Spanish. In my final semester as an undergraduate student, I will be fueling this interest by traveling to Granada, Nicaragua with the University of Cincinnati College of Allied Health Sciences for a service learning trip. While in Nicaragua, we will provide healthcare services to local children.

After I receive my master's degree in speech-language pathology, I plan to work with children in a clinical setting. I also hope to provide services abroad to people in underprivileged nations such as Guatemala. There is a great need for speech-language pathologists who are able to work with Spanish-speaking children. While I was unable to complete a minor in Spanish as an undergraduate student, I plan to earn my certification in Spanish after I earn my master's degree. I plan to use my certification in Spanish to provide services to children learning English as a second language as well as children abroad.

My undergraduate studies in Communication Sciences and Disorders, personal experiences and service experiences have given me the necessary qualities to succeed as a graduate student. They have also awakened in me a passion for service, speech and language. I appreciate your consideration in advanced and thank you for the opportunity to share my passion with you.