The speech-language pathology spring cohort of 1997 recently returned to TCU to celebrate their 25-year reunion. They created an unbreakable bond that’s carried on throughout the years, and their stories spoke to what Harris College prepared them for. Here’s their perspective.
How do you feel the SLP program at TCU prepared you for your career?
Korey: We were a small class of 10 and that doesn’t happen anymore. I think that allowed us all to be so close. It also allowed our professors to know us and made us feel that we could come to them with questions or problems. I loved the opportunity to have in-house clinical opportunities as well as part-time externships each semester. It gave me so many more different types of experiences than the graduate programs I work with now provide. I feel that I was so lucky to have these experiences in the community and the classroom, and they prepared me to get a job.
Anne Marie: Excellent clinical training and the ability to clinically reason through things. The program taught us hard work and the professors gave good advice. I remember, after we complained about not having time to do all our work, Lynn Flahive, told us that we would always feel like we have more work to do than what we have time for. That was an excellent life lesson, and I am glad she spelled it out for me then. It helped me move on to prioritizing goals much faster.
Raquel: I felt confident enough to take my first job at a hospital where I was the only SLP.
Lori: We had a variety of courses that gave us a foundation upon which to build our skills. The internships they set up for us were helpful in learning about different populations we can serve in our field.
Yuneska: I felt very well-prepared when I was a bilingual SLP working for a school district. The professors were all amazing and dedicated. They wanted us to succeed.
Alissa: One of my greatest influences was the adjunct professor we had for our Adult Neuro class, Dr. Sharon Parsons. I haven’t been able to track her down, but she was an incredible teacher and encouraged us to pursue our passions and really love what we do. She is the reason I am now an adjunct professor myself (Rockhurst University in Kansas City). The small class sizes, individual mentorship and on-site clinic were instrumental in preparing me for my career as a speech-language pathologist.
Coleen: The program did an excellent job preparing us. When I first graduated, I started as a bilingual speech-language pathologist for Plano ISD and worked with deaf and Spanish-speaking populations. I took a break when I had my five children and now, I am back and working as a Preschool Speech-Language Pathologist at the Early Childhood School for Frisco ISD. My experiences in graduate school helped to prepare me for teaching the Preschool Speech Program. My current caseload consists of 3-5-year-olds with moderate to severe articulation disorders. Janet Lanza led a preschool classroom at the Miller Speech and Hearing Clinic when I was at TCU, and the experience has helped me tremendously in my speech classroom today.
