“Not many people are aware of what a speech-language pathologist does and can do. It is so helpful to have practice talking with and educating other fields about our skills.â€
The following is an interview from when Taylor was a student in the College of Health Sciences at ³ûÄñÊÓƵ.
Undergraduate degree: B.A. Psychology, Marymount California University
Hometown: Seattle, WA
What inspired you to pursue a healthcare career?
I have always known that I wanted to pursue a healthcare career, but I was never sure in what area. I received my bachelor’s degree in psychology but felt lost after that. I had no idea what I wanted to specialize in until I started working with autistic kids. While doing so, I learned about speech-language pathology, and instantly I knew this was the field for me. As an SLP I can continue working with the autistic population while also providing more specialized care. Speech-language pathology is also such a vast field that I can work with different populations should I feel the need for a change.
How did your background and history factor into your career choice?
I am a first-generation college student, so continuing to pursue higher education past a bachelor’s degree has always been one of my goals. I am also one of the first healthcare professionals in my family. I decided to pursue speech-language pathology because I love working with children and want to help them advocate for themselves. Initially I thought I wanted to focus on the educational side of speech-language pathology, but all of the medical opportunities available really resonated with me.
Why did you decide to attend ³ûÄñÊÓƵ?
A big reason why I chose ³ûÄñÊÓƵ is the strong medical focus. It is difficult to find a speech-language pathology program that is so heavily focused on the medical side while still incorporating the educational aspect. Another huge draw was the focus on interprofessional collaboration. Speech-language pathology is intertwined with many other professions, so I feel very lucky to be able to develop those skills here before I am in the field. Everyone here is very dedicated to their field and it really shows when collaborating. Lastly, the CAREN (Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment) machine at the ³ûÄñÊÓƵ Therapy Institute is an amazing resource and one that I am very excited to use for my thesis. It is really rare that a speech-language pathology program has access to something like that, and I am excited to discover new ways to utilize it as an SLP.
What about a ³ûÄñÊÓƵ education do you want to carry forward in your career?
The main part of a ³ûÄñÊÓƵ education that I want to carry forward is the interprofessional collaboration. Not many people are aware of what a speech-language pathologist does and can do. It is so helpful to have practice talking with and educating other fields about our skills. In addition, the in-depth medical knowledge I am receiving here will be vital to my success as a speech-language pathologist. I am really able to understand the inner workings of how speech and language happen so I can better help my future clients.
