When I was growing up, all I wanted to be was a meteorologist. I LOVED the weather and I STILL do! I used to watch the Weather Channel for hours on end watching coverage of storms, hurricanes, tornados and blizzards. I used to tell my dad what the weather will be in the place where he was traveling for a business trip. my younger sister attended speech therapy when she was younger (probably for what is now known as apraxia). I also played competitive tennis and my doubles partner, Anne, traveled with my mom and I to a tournament. Her aunt met us up there and watched us play the next day. Anne's Aunt asked me "Amy, What do you want to study in college" I told her the usual, I like meteorology and love science, but I HATE HATE math. I just don't know! Well, Anne's Aunt was a speech pathologist and she told me all about the profession. I thought it sounded like a great profession, but I really didn't think much of it at the time. My best friend, Barrett, his mom was a speech pathologist at the time too and she loved her position in the schools. So, Speech Pathology was starting to surround me and I didn't even know it. I ended up getting a full-ride scholarship for tennis to Univeristy of Wyoming. Well, looking back I did not do too much researching re: degrees because they did not have a meteorology program at the time. I was heartbroken. I then recalled the conversation I had with Anne's Aunt and thought hmm I'll just put Speech Pathology down and we'll see where I end up. The first class I took was Introduction to Communication Disorders and I FELL IN LOVE! I liked dysphagia, dysarthria, aphasia, language disorders, speech disorders and neurological disorders! I wanted to know more and more and more. So, I am so very grateful for that small conversation with Anne's Aunt and I owe her my happiness today because I could not have imagined myself doing anything else in this life.
In graduate school, I still liked every part about Speech Pathology. To this day, I like all parts. I have worked in multiple Skilled Nursing Facility, Schools (elementary, junior high and high school), Home Health, Inpatient Acute Care (hospital), and Inpatient Rehabilitation. The only area I have not dove into is Outpatient therapy. It just doesn't interest me for whatever reaon, BUT all of the other areas I just LOVE! I think my biggest love is working with adults who have endured a stroke (acute care or rehab). My love of kids in the schools is a veryvery close second. Both medical speech pathology and educational speech pathology make up who I am.
Well that is a little bit about me and how my journey to Speech Pathology began.
How did you end up a Speech Pathologist? Leave a comment below and let me know! I really am interested how people get into this profession!
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My journey sounds a little like yours! I entered college late (28 years old) with no idea for a major. I took a sign language class (i'd been fascinated with ASL since childhood) and decided that I needed a major focused on language/communication. A few weeks later, an acquaintance was asked HER major, and she said "Speech and Hearing Sciences". I asked what the major would qualify her to do and she said speech therapy. I thought, "Oh, that's what I should do". Once I started taking classes within the major, I knew I'd made the right choice. I've had several settings as well, and my current job at a high school is by far my favorite. I'm glad everyone is able to find their own niche in our little speechies world !!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for such a wonderful response! So glad you are here in this great profession we both love!
DeleteI was a senior in high school and had NO clue what I was going to do upon graduation. I went to observe at a special education facility and they said, would you like to observe a speech therapist? I had no idea what a speech therapist was. But I liked what I saw. After I graduated from college, I ended up working with the woman who I observed. Pretty cool, huh?
ReplyDeleteThat is an awesome story! I ended up working with 4 of my clinical supervisors after graduation! We made great co-workers because I already knew what each of them were like since I learned from them!
DeleteThanks for sharing!