Speech Language Pathologist Personal Statement

Today’s speech pathologists are faced with many challenges. However, the field of speech therapy is unique in that when the speech pathologist overcomes a challenges is more often that not a significant triumph in the patients life. It is of massive importance for speech therapist have the following traits good interpersonal skills, the ability to take another’s perspective and problem solving skills.

Mrs. Kirsch also shared with me that she thought that the best and the worst parts of this career where the same thing. She said that she really enjoyed helping other people after strokes, or with other cognitive issues, and she even really liked talking to the families. Yet, the worst part about it was that, there is only so much that you can do for

Choosing a major can be difficult, especially when considering expanding your collegiate career from your undergraduate career. For myself, Speech-Language Pathology was a clear answer for me to pursue, especially since I have a desire to help change an individual’s life and make a substantial impact that can affect more then just one individual. From the start of my Speech-Language Pathology collegiate career, I have always been drawn to working with children and increasing their communication skills. Although, my passion for working with children does not stop with expanding their communication skills, but also to help them to become more confident and content with whom they are.

Originally, I was drawn to speech pathology after my sister’s diagnosis of Autism at the age of three. Watching Diane struggle with language development and acquisition while other children seemed to grasp these skills naturally is what initially sparked my interest in helping families like my own. At the start of my junior year, I set out to obtain experiences working with different populations. Toward the latter half of junior year, I became involved as a clerical volunteer at the Sacramento Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center. By senior year, I was balancing a full course load alongside three volunteer experiences. In addition to Scottish Rite Childhood Language Center, I divided my time between tutoring at a neighboring elementary school in the Twin Rivers School District and serving as an intern at the Autism Center for Excellence (ACE). During my undergraduate experience, I welcomed the opportunity to work with students that struggled with literacy, language, and pragmatic skills. After graduation, it was my goal to obtain additional experience in the field as a speech-language pathology assistant.

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." I can hear one of my grandmother's highly regarded quotes resonating inside my head. Apprehension consumed me when I entered college as an undecided major. Unexpectedly that all changed a few weeks into my first semester. My grandmother had a stroke which ultimately affected her speech and was in dire need of a Speech Pathologist. This is what initially sparked my interest in this field. I was determined on working with the geriatric population because of the experience and attachment I endured with my grandmother. However, the irrefutable fact that this is my passion became evident when I started working as an Assistant Teacher at Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech.

Keaunna Knox has been a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) since 2007, and has worked ever since 2000 with children with special needs who had speech and language disorders. She began as an “Instructional/Speech Aide” at Pasadena Unified School District working with children with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities. All the students she worked with had speech and language disorders, and, since the Districts therapy was overloaded Keaunna implemented the communication goals she wrote. Based on that experience and many others, Keaunna decided to enroll at Cal State Los Angeles to pursue her professional career in teaching. She received her Master’s in Mild-Moderate Disabilities in Special Education from Cal State Los Angeles and a second

Upon first entering college, I struggled deciding at such a young age what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Through babysitting and volunteering with pre-school aged children at my church and through a school program called STARS, it became evident to me I had a love for helping children. It fascinated me to see how they viewed the world around them and how quickly they learned new truths everyday. Nevertheless, I knew I would not get the full enjoyment interacting with children as a schoolteacher because the teacher to student ratio is so large. Classroom demands would make it much more difficult to devot individualized attention to each student, and I did not like that concept. So

Language is beautiful and wondrous phenomenon. Not only is it a crucial component in everyday communication, but it also accentuates the culture of those that speak it. As a student pursuing a career in speech-language pathology, the aspects of communication, such as language, are the pillars of my future profession and will be deeply embedded into my daily life. There are many reasons I have chosen this path, but my childhood friend, Jasmine, can be accredited with my finishing decision to become a speech-language pathologist. When I was in elementary school, Jasmine was one of my closest friends, but I did not always get to play with her at recess because she frequently had to see an audiologist, or go to speech therapy. Jasmine had a congenital

From being diagnosed at a young age with dyslexia and apraxia of the speech, I am not sure where I would be without the help and encouragement of my speech pathologists. ‘Speech-language pathologists assess, diagnose, treat, and help to prevent communication and swallowing disorders in patients’ (Summary, www.bls.org, 2015). Along with helping their patients overcome or learn how to understand their disorders, speech pathologists must keep records.

I completed my undergraduate and graduate studies at Western Michigan University. During this time, I accumulated over 260 clinical hours assessing and providing treatment to preschool and elementary-aged children with speech and language disorders. This has prepared me to be a qualified candidate for this position. At Richland

I had a dream of a career that would allow me to utilize my skills, my motivation to help others, and would catalyze change. Speech-language pathology has allowed me to lead my life with purpose, the purpose of empowering others. This empowerment is gained by my assistance in overcoming speech related deficits and disorders as a speech-language pathologist

Personal Statement My aspiration to become a speech pathologist is the culmination of a life-long interest in science and the human voice. As a sophomore in college I became serious about acting and musical theater and was recruited into the state reparatory acting program at Cal State Fullerton. At Cal State, I continued singing and playing lead parts in productions. I found a particular affinity for manipulating my voice for theatrical dialects, and developing optimal vocal support and projection on stage.

After practicing for over twenty years as a Speech Language Pathology Assistant, I have gained many skills and qualifications. I am a motivated self-starter, and licensed to practice in Idaho and Oregon. Working as an SLP-A has allowed me to be well versed in IDEA, and special education programs. My knowledge and proficiency have enabled me to perform therapy, follow directions, maintain daily notes, and assist with progress notes. I have been involved in various speech screenings in the schools. My experience is with a multitude of supervisors working with clients from pre-kindergarten to geriatric, both in group sessions and 1:1. In these sessions I have worked with to name a few articulation, fluency, expressive/receptive language,

The student writing this personal statement will not be the same student a week, month or year from now. This is due to my commitment to continual personal and professional growth and development. This commitment to life long learning, as well as my passion for helping people, is the why behind every single one of my waking moments. I look forward to a career in Speech Language Pathology because the profession is constantly evolving and there is always more to learn. I look forward to staying current and developing mentoring relationships within the profession, as well as developing strong bonds within the community.

While I am considering how I want my future to look as a Speech Pathologist, I have also taken much time to think about where I want to end up geographically and what populations I wish to work with. Detroit has always been a city that has been very close to my heart. Detroit is where my family grounded themselves when they first settled in the United States. This city had given so much to my family. This gave me a desire to return to our roots in Detroit. It is also the disadvantaged populations and underfunded schools in Detroit that give me such a passion for wanting to work in this city. The lack of funding to the Detroit public schools infuriating to me as it limits the amount of services these students can receive. I find important to