I believe it was the summer after my senior year in high school when I first became truly interested in speech language pathology. I got my first "real" job through Americorps as a summer mentor working with underprivelaged children who had reading and/or writing difficulties. Five days a week, I worked with nine children ages seven to eleven, and each day we read books, wrote stories, created artwork, and played non-competitive games. I loved how the children looked up to me and how good I felt at the end of the day for helping them. As one can imagine, I got to know these children very well over the course of the summer. During this time, I began to notice what sounds and words certain children had difficulty saying and one of my favorite little boys was a stutterer. Just wondering about their language, how it develops, and what may or may not be typical really fascinated me.

One day I was talking with my mom about how I had no clue what I should major in when I went to Marshall in the fall. Teaching was definitely OUT of the question. Both of my parents work in the educational system, and although I deeply respect their professions, I feel like I was practically born attending school and have probably been to more faculty meetings and conferences than most teachers have. With that being said, I knew I would have to find another way to work with and help children. Knowing of my interest in language and my love for helping others, my mom suggested speech pathology. I researched it a little and began to become more intrigued. I really liked the fact that this field would afford me the opportunity to work in a variety of different settings and with a broad range of people. Next, I spoke with my dad, who is the director of RESA V, because I knew that he dealt with hiring SLP's for the school systems. He told me that in his area, speech therapists were really in demand and he felt it was like that in most areas, as well. The person who really impacted my decision was Pat Westfall, a family friend, who is a speech pathologist very close to my hometown. After speaking with her, a woman so passionate and enthusiastic about her career, my choice was clear.

Many times I've complained about the work and the stress accompanying this major, yet, I can't imagine myself pursuing any other career in the future. It will, no doubt, be a difficult and challenging career. Though, at the same time, it will be a rewarding one that will enable me to positively impact others. That reason alone is enough for me to stick with it!