Kelsey was born and raised in Saskatchewan, Canada and moved to the United States to pursue her goal of becoming a speech-language pathologist. She completed her undergraduate degree in Communication Disorders at Minot State University in Minot, North Dakota before beginning the graduate program at UNH. “I remember looking through the websites of countless programs trying to decide where to apply. When I came across the program at UNH, I was initially drawn to the idea of concentrating in a specific area within the field. I always knew I wanted to work with young children, so the option in Early Childhood Communication Disorders looked perfect for me.”
Kelsey believes that UNH has done a great deal to prepare her for her future as an SLP. “Because I had the opportunity to experience a private practice, school, and early intervention setting, I was able to gain an idea of what might be the best fit for me. These clinical experiences helped me to realize my love for speech pathology in the schools and further narrowed down my job search. I was lucky enough to be offered the first job I interviewed for with a great school district in Manitoba, Canada. I feel that my experience at UNH helped me to interview with confidence, and I even received positive feedback regarding my level of preparedness and the uniqueness of my graduate experience. The ability to choose a concentration, variety of off-campus clinical experiences, and dedicated supervisors and professors helped to provide me with the knowledge and skills I needed to get my dream job!”
Kelsey graduated in August and returned to Canada to begin her career and work towards certification with both the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and Speech-Language and Audiology Canada. “Moving forward in my career I hope to help children with communication needs participate within the classroom, continue to expand my knowledge and skills within the field, and advocate for children with speech and language disorders. I firmly believe that if I did not attend UNH, my goals for the future would be very different. Looking back, I could not be happier with my choice to go with this program.”
Since graduating from UNH, Kelsey has worked as an SLP in the schools in Manitoba, Canada. "I feel that UNH did a wonderful job preparing me for my career as a school-based SLP. My educational background in language and literacy and early childhood communication disorders has served me well when working with the students on my diverse caseload. I am so happy with the path I have chosen, and I feel very lucky to be working in such a great field!"
