Before coming to UNH, Emily was an undergraduate student at the
University of Connecticut. "I got into speech-pathology somewhat by
accident. I knew I wanted to have a career that involved helping people
within a medical setting; however, I knew I didn't want to become a
nurse, and I thought majoring in psychology was a bit broad. I ended up
taking the intro to communication disorders class and everything kind of
fell into place for me." Emily enrolled in graduate school right after
completing her undergraduate studies. Originally from the seacoast area
of NH, UNH was a natural choice, as it would allow her to live at home
and commute. "After meeting the professors, I was impressed with the
program and felt very comfortable at UNH so I enrolled."

Unlike most graduate programs in speech-language pathology, UNH
does not include clinical experience in the first year. Rather it is
very course intensive in the first year, with clinical placements
beginning in the summer or fall of your second year. "I appreciated that
as it provided sufficient time for me to learn the material before
applying that knowledge." Additionally, UNH allows for significant
flexibility in clinical placements, a feature that allowed Emily to
focus on her area of interest: the adult/geriatric population, rather
than being required to do a placement in a school, or other typically
required setting that is not of interest to her. "This has allowed me to
experience off-campus placements in both an outpatient and acute care
setting, which is an opportunity not many will receive at other
programs. I feel that my clinical experiences have allowed me to put my
knowledge to the test and perfect my clinical skills."

Emily will graduate in August and hopes to work in an acute, sub
acute, or outpatient medical setting in the future. "My clinical
experience working with individuals with voice disorders, dysphagia,
aphasia, apraxia, dysarthria, and other neurogenic communication
disorders has prepared me for this next step."