Undergraduate /
ASHA certifiedCertificate of Clinical Competenence; Speech Pathology(PS-Grad School) [5]
I often think about my grandmother who suffered a stroke many years ago and as a result lost her speaking abilities. She was then provided speech therapy services during her stay in the hospital. When she lost her speech this was devastating for her as well as the family. When communicating with her, the biggest challenge for me, was not knowing her needs and wants. My grandmother was surely someone I had in my thoughts when I decided to change my career field from teaching to speech therapy.
Additionally, I had memories of having a passion to work with individuals with disabilities. To be more specific my interest sparked when I worked as an instructional assistance in the Learning Disabilities program at American River Junior College. It was while working on this job that I learned a great deal about student disabilities and education. While attending high school I remember being a student who had to work extremely hard for that A or B grade. I believe if I would have been aware of my possible disabilities, I could have utilized some of the assistance available to students with disabilities. Since then I have had a passion for working with children who have learning disabilities.
My first experience of working with children with specific learning disabilities was as a general education classroom teacher. I serviced special education students in my classroom and always provided them with strategies needed to be academically successful. Every time they experienced success because of my efforts I was overjoyed. It was this experience that assisted in my decision making to return to school for post-baccalaureate credits in speech-language pathology.
Since completing this program I have spent the past two years as a speech therapist. The bulk of my experience has been servicing students who fall on the autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome, ranging in age from PreK through 5th grade. While working with these students the goals mostly focused on phonology, articulation, fluency and language skills. I believe my past and current hands-on experiences will enrich my education in graduate school and give me the opportunity to apply what I learn on a daily basis.
Continuing my career as a speech therapist is extremely important so I am able to assist students in reaching their fullest potential. While working with the students is rewarding it also gives me pleasure to collaborate with the teachers, parents, and others who have a genuine interest in providing what is best for the student. I honestly believe that working together as a team is the key to the success of all students.
After completing my Master's in speech-language pathology it is my goal to continue working in the school setting, receive my license in the state of California, become ASHA certified and wear the title of Certificate of Clinical Competence in speech-language pathology behind my signature block. Based on my strong organizational and interpersonal skills, multitasking capabilities, and my commitment to education, I am confident XXX University will serve as a podium for me to reach my goal as I continue my journey of learning and develop my craft as a speech therapist.
