SLP, Speech Pathologist, Therapist Personal Purpose
- Oct 1, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 26, 2024
I am highly motivated and determined to achieve my central professional goal: becoming a licensed Speech Pathologist. I look forward to setting an example for others as an extremely hard worker and a minority pulling herself up by her bootstraps. Especially after my p divorce when I was in Junior High, there was little that was ideal about my childhood. I learned to deal with adversity incredibly young, making me strong, resourceful, and compassionate. I spent the first 14 years of my life in Vietnam, the child of Chinese immigrants. We moved to Hawaii in 2007. In addition to Vietnamese and English, I also speak, read, and write Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese.
I have something unique to offer to a school, clinic, hospital, or language center with many Asian patients/clients, especially Chinese and Vietnamese children. I have many dreams of helping children, especially the less fortunate ones born into families of scarce resources. I hope to start someday my clinic and research center geared toward culturally appropriate attention for Asian and Asian-American children who face complex speech and language challenges. I keenly look forward to the lifelong celebration of Asian diversity in America, fomenting and fostering communication among Asians and all cultural groups.
I live in Honolulu, Hawaii, with my mom and older sister. I came here originally in 2007 and am now a US citizen. Adjustment to many things so far in my life has been difficult, beginning with the fact that I started as a member of a minority group in Vietnam since many Vietnamese look down upon Chinese people. It took me a while to find my bearings as a college student, mainly because I had lost my grandparents and was traumatized by grief. Therefore, I ask for special consideration of my application despite my less-than-competitive GPA considering my language abilities and the fact that my grades did improve throughout my studies.
Upon graduation, I became a licensed Registered Behavioral Technician (RBT), providing direct one-on-one ABA therapy with children, most of whom were Autistic, with a few diagnosed with various other developmental disorders. As a behavioral technician, I would teach the children language/communication, social skills, daily living/adaptive skills, pre-academic skills, etc. Some of my milestones included instructing a low-functioning boy of six with severe Down Syndrome to “touch mommy’s picture” when presenting a picture of his mom. After about two months of physical prompting and delivering reinforcers using Discrete Trial Training, he can walk and “touch mommy,” “give to Mommy,” and “kiss mommy.” I collaborated with many professionals, SLPs, OTs, PTs, and teachers. I learned a great deal from these professionals, especially speech pathologists. Another highlight of this period was tutoring an 8-year-old girl with severe cognitive disorders and communication and social delays - to successfully make eye contact to receive a reinforcer (cereal; music).
Thank you for your consideration of my application.
SLP, Speech Pathologist, Therapist Personal Purpose
What stands out most in this personal statement is its unmistakable authenticity. The writer presents a life shaped by cultural complexity, migration, and early adversity, and these experiences are not used as embellishment—they are the backbone of her motivation to become a speech‑language pathologist. The narrative feels lived‑in rather than curated, and that sincerity gives the statement emotional weight.
The multicultural dimension is one of the strongest elements. Few applicants can claim fluency across Vietnamese, English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, and even fewer can articulate how those linguistic abilities translate into clinical value. The writer does this effectively: she positions herself not simply as multilingual, but as someone who understands the cultural nuances, stigmas, and communication barriers that Asian and Asian‑American…