I can think of no career that would be as thoroughly rewarding as giving my professional life to Speech-Language Pathology (SLP). Among Master’s Degree programs in SLP, the University of XXXX is my first choice for several reasons, primarily the sheer excellence of your program. I am a good fit with your curriculum for several reasons, particularly my devotion to children and my passion for thinking globally about SLP and communication issues. As part of my undergraduate education, I took a grassroots development course, including a three-week visit to Nicaragua. We stayed at a free clinic where I could work at the pharmacy and shadow the doctor when he met with patients - both at the clinic and in private homes. I had never seen such poverty and felt incredibly proud to help, especially since our clinic was the only source of medication.
My focus will always be on children; helping them progress toward a lifetime of effective communication fills me with the greatest joy I can imagine. I am fully confident that my intense passion for this work will drive me forward to excellence to make significant contributions to the field. Speech/language difficulties in childhood, if not overcome, may present problems for those individuals throughout their lifetimes. This drives me forward and fills me with energy because I desperately want to help these children overcome these issues, thereby saving them a great deal of misery. As I see it, nothing else could be such a sustainable and noble investment of my time.
My brother took speech classes at an early age, and I witnessed first-hand the positive impact these classes had on his self-confidence to express himself. I plan to work at a school where I can help children with their speech and language issues or at a pediatric care center providing the same kind of attention. One day, I hope to open my clinic. For the time being, I will be focused on having the most significant impact on the lives of children with the greatest need, furthering my experience after completing your program.
I didn’t grow up knowing I wanted to be a speech-language pathologist; it was something I discovered over time. I entered college without declaring a major and had no idea what I wanted to do when I graduated. I was always fascinated with language, so I started at Bucknell University, where I earned a BA in Linguistics with minors in Psychology and Arabic. I am currently enrolled in a Pre-Speech Language Pathology Program at XXXX University. I have worked with infants and young children so far in my career, and I could not be happier with my career choice as I have loved my work and enjoyed the experience immensely. I keenly look forward to returning to studying language acquisition from new, more advanced perspectives at the University of Maryland.
I have been interested in languages for my entire life, especially after studying Linguistics in college. Foreign languages were my primary interest going into my undergraduate program, and I was accepted into the language and cultures residential hall, where I had the opportunity to meet people who spoke various languages. I also started taking Arabic courses and found it incredibly fascinating how I could learn to use sounds that were nonexistent in English. It wasn’t until I took a Linguistics class in my sophomore year, however, that I discovered that it wasn’t just languages that attracted me to the communication process but also how the human brain and body can produce so much meaning out of sound. I want to continue to study the psychology of normal and abnormal communication intensely, focusing on language and recognizing that language is only one of several components involved in the communication process. My interest in this subject eventually shifted to people who cannot fully use this ability.
The Boy Scouts of America instilled a sense of service in me. As an Eagle Scout, I planned and managed the creation of projects that endure until today. I stayed involved for years after earning that honor to help those who are just starting to make substantial progress. Our slogan, “Do a good turn daily,” is still something I try to live by.
I am incredibly thankful for working as a researcher in the XXXX Baby Lab, which allowed me to witness first-hand how infants communicated and strengthened my drive to help children with their language and speech abilities. Most of my observational experience with SLPs has been with children - all advantageous. Whether working with an autistic child who is uncooperative or a child who was recently implanted with a cochlear implant, I profoundly enjoy learning how to recognize and stimulate speech. I also enjoy connecting with difficult personalities. This is why another of my volunteer positions included working with prisoners, taking the time to get to know their working styles, and then using what I learned to inform our interactions better, helping me gain the respect of those with whom I was engaging.
Since graduating from XXXX University, I have had the opportunity to develop various administrative and communication skills that help me in the workplace. I was promoted to operations manager within six months of being hired. This has paid the bills and allowed me to continue to develop various administrative and communication skills to help me excel as an SLP professional.
Thank you for considering my application to Speech-Language Pathology at XXXX.
SLP Master's Personal Purpose Statement Editor