I have finished my undergraduate studies in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP). I could not be happier working full-time in my chosen field as a certified Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant. I look forward to lifelong learning and many decades to come teaching children the skills they need to communicate effectively. Thus, my central professional objective is to earn my Master’s Degree in SLP and become a certified Speech-Language Pathologist working with children from all backgrounds who face various speech/language difficulties. I also look forward to serving as an advocate for children with developmental and learning challenges, lobbying on behalf of their interests with the state legislature.
I have had the privilege of growing up in and working for a family business, collaborating with family members to meet customer demand. This experience has helped me understand the importance of clarity for covert and overt forms of communication. By the end of my first year in college, I had found a job working as a camp counselor at a preschool. This position gave me my first firm idea of what kind of a career I wanted to develop, working primarily with children with mild processing and articulation delays. Supporting these children in their speech and processing throughout the day as an undergraduate student volunteer very much affirmed my passion for the field of SLP. I began to find enjoyment by applying what I was learning at college in my work in the community, helping to make the environment of special needs children as meaningful and fulfilling as possible.
This past summer and currently during the fall semester, I have been volunteering my time at the Language, Learning, Literacy, and Lexicon Lab at the U of A. Assisting with working memory and word learning studies has allowed me to see how theory is put into the service of the research. Data collection and entry in this position have helped me refine my practical skills and accurately capture and communicate information. Seeing experienced clinicians at work has provided me with the most inspiring examples of professional expertise. One of the highlights of this experience was observing a young man from assessment to completion through eight home-visit sessions, allowing me to cultivate a relationship with him and his family.
Born (1996) and raised in the USA, I have visited Mexico once or twice a year for about six years, Israel for ten days (May 2018), England, and much of Western Europe for a month. My travels have helped me to mature and to become a better communicator. I have also learned basic American Sign Language. Persistent and driven to become an accomplished SLP clinician, I spent an entire year serving in a research lab studying the complex relationships between learning, literacy, language, and lexicon. I work with children with articulation difficulties and moderately to severely autistic children. I look forward to learning as much as possible about the autism spectrum, swallowing, apraxia, and dysarthria in adults and children. I am passionate about research, language, neurogenic communication disorders, voice disorders, and especially swallowing.
Thank you for considering my application to your Distinguished SLP Master’s Program.
SLP Master's Personal Purpose Statement, Mexican American