Heather Romanow
NESHAP Undergraduate Scholarship
January 25, 2012
Impacting One Life at a Time through Speech-Language Pathology
Growing up in Southwestern Pennsylvania, I went through a variety of career options before deciding to major in Speech-Language Pathology at Marywood University. In middle school, I began to take an interest in the sciences, and this was the first time I started to picture myself as a teacher. When I reached high school, I had the amazing opportunity to be the first student from my school district and county to attend the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for Teaching 2008, (PGST). While there, I developed lesson plans and taught basic American Sign Language, (ASL), to a group of third graders. After this intense six-week program, I realized that teaching a discipline such as math, chemistry, or even home economics to a group of thirty students was not one of my passions.
Interestingly enough, in eleventh grade I became fascinated with the Air Force, and I was convinced that was my calling. However, my mother asked me to shadow professionals in our region to see what other career options were available. Since my mom was worried about my dream of joining the service, I agreed to set up an appointment to shadow my friend’s mother at the local hospital. I saw how she interacted with a variety of patients who had communication and swallowing disorders, and this experience inspired me to research what a Speech-Language Pathologist is, along with what kinds of job opportunities are available upon graduating. After many hours of researching and visiting schools, I finally decided to attend Marywood University because of the amazing five year Master’s Speech-Language Pathology program.
Currently, I am completing my undergraduate requirements, and I am looking forward to starting clinic this summer. Throughout my time at Marywood University, I have loved all of my Communication Sciences and Disorders courses, and I have taken an interest in working with clients who have suffered strokes. Learning about all of the characteristics for the different types of aphasia fascinates me, and I cannot wait to apply this knowledge in the near future.
When I graduate with my Master’s in May 2014, I hope to return home to work in a hospital setting with stroke victims.Also, I would love to work with children who are born with cleft palate/lip in the Cleft-Craniofacial Center of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. I will always be thankful for the quality of education Marywood University and its SLP program has provided. The professors are professional and excellent, the courses are informative and challenging, and the experience is one of a kind! As I continue to progress in this field, I look forward to expanding upon the concepts I have learned and to better refine my researching skills. Having two younger cousins with ASD, receiving SLP services myself in elementary school, and my job shadowing experience have motivated me to be involved and to inspire others through Speech-Language Pathology.
*I grant permission to have this essay in its entirety appear on NESHAP’s website if I am the winning recipient of the NESHAP 2012 Undergraduate Scholarship.*