What are you currently doing professionaly?
I am working as a speech language pathologist in the Portsmouth School District (NH). I work in the PEEP program with preschool age students. I also work as a TA for Synthesis school online.
What is your background, and how did you become interested in your field?
I became interested in this field because I wanted to work in a job where I helped people and worked with people directly. I wasn't interested in working in traditional healthcare so I found the therapies. Speech therapy was specifically interesting because of it's neurogenic roots and diverse population.
How did your time at UNH prepare you for life after college?
UNH graduate school prepared me by providing hands-on clinical opportunities. We weren't just sitting in a classroom, we were applying what we were learning daily. The staff to student ration also lent to fostering influential mentorships with staff. My graduate research also developed my niche interest in motor speech disorders, and also deepened my appreciation, respect and understanding of the importance of research, and how to use it.
What advice do you have for students interested in your field?
Get involved. It sounds cliche but you're only going to get out of school what you put into it. Talk to your teachers, see what opportunities that may have for you. Take a class because it sounds interesting. No skill or lesson is a waste of time in the real world. All skills are useful and grow you both professional and personally. My other tip is to not take it all so seriously. Work hard, buckle down, but those who do so will be rewarded. School is just the beginning of the amazing things you'll accomplish and get to do as long as you focus and try. Make it about learning and you'll always find success.
What do you miss most about UNH?
All of the opportunities and fast pace of learning new things. UNH provides so many built in ways to try new things and be whoever you want. Opportunities are at your fingertips. Learning still happens every day in the "real world" but it's fewer and further between. UNH is special too because it's just so diverse in terms of what is offers. Try it all! Get involved! Have fun!!!
