Alumni Success Stories
Jessica Bryant, M.A., CCC-SLP
Current position and place of employment
Speech Language Pathologist employed by National Solutions Travel Company and assigned to two skilled nursing facilities in Clovis, NM.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
One challenge that I face in this setting is managing my time as well as being flexible enough to adjust to new evaluations or changes in the daily schedule. I have learned that while it can be taxing, it is very important to advocate for patients so that they receive the services needed to improve their quality of life. It can be difficult to uphold professional ethical standards, maintain productivity levels and cooperate with other team members to ensure the best outcome for the patients I serve.
What is your favorite part about being an SLP?
I love seeing patients work hard to achieve their therapy goals. Recently a patient was able to successfully transition from a puree diet to a full diet with no restrictions. It is so encouraging to establish therapy goals with a client and then work to accomplish those goals. The results are validating for the patient as well as the SLP.
What advice do you have for current students going into the field?
Make mistakes and ask questions while you are in your graduate training. Do not be afraid to learn. I would also encourage current students to volunteer or observe at as many different locations as possible. Think about where you might want to work and then observe in that setting.
Once you graduate and start your CF, there will be times when you are not sure what to do. In those instances, utilize your mentors and others on your team and use the resources you have gathered in graduate school.
What do you think is one of the biggest challenges facing our profession? What can be done to help the situation?
I think one of the most significant challenges facing our profession is access to and affordability of services. Working with older adults I have seen needed services denied because of their cost. I think that turning a profit has replaced patient care as the first priority in healthcare.
Another challenge facing our profession is lack of awareness of the role of the speech language pathologist on the healthcare team. As a profession we need to expand interprofessional practice to help others understand the skills and knowledge that SLPs bring to patient care.
Oscar Armando Gumucio, M.A., CCC-SLP
Current position and place of employment
Speech Language Pathologist in Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and Assistant Lecturer, University of Akron.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
Moving past the obstacles inherent in working with children from diverse backgrounds to improve their ability to communicate. On my caseload are children who are bilingual and monolingual Spanish speakers. As an advocate for the Latino population, I address the challenges families from diverse populations face while working to improve their children鈥檚 communication skills.
Another challenge in my position is making sure that non-biased assessments are utilized. Current standardized language assessments are not necessarily fair to administer to diverse students. I have been implementing dynamic assessment, and language assessments to better assess language functioning for these students.
Do you want to mention anything about your time spent at Kent State?
The time I spent at Kent State was rewarding. One of my favorite memories was the opportunity to work with Dr. Anna Schmidt on my thesis entitled 鈥淒iscrimination of rhythmic differences between stressed timed and syllable timed languages.鈥 I learned so much from Dr. Schmidt and she helped me to become a better writer.
What advice do you have for current students going into the field?
Early in my career I tried working in all different settings including nursing homes, hospital outpatient care, home health and schools. I settled on remaining in the educational setting as I found it to be the work setting where it was easiest to see client progress and to know that you are making a difference. I find myself more fulfilled now than ever and I recognize that a high paying position is not the most important factor. Find a position that rewards you internally and not just financially.
What do you think is one of the biggest challenges facing our profession? What can be done to help the situation?
I think one of the most significant challenges facing our profession is the lack of diversity in our field. In particular fewer male, Hispanic and African American SLPs. 麻豆传媒 has established the Pathways Program with the CMSD and as a result we now have several of our high school students enrolled at Kent and considering careers in speech language pathology or audiology. I serve as a mentor in the Pathways Program and it is a great way to start to address the need for a more diverse profession.
Katijo Makin, M.A., CCC-SLP
Current position and place of employment
Speech-language pathologist and owner of Innovative Therapy Center in Uniontown, Ohio. Innovative Therapy provides in-person and telehealth speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, and counseling services. These services are provided across the age range.
What degrees have you earned? Where are they from?
I completed a bachelor's degree in marketing from Kent and worked for several years in the corporate world before deciding to change careers. I worked part-time while completing the post-baccalaureate sequence in speech-language pathology at Kent and then completed my master鈥檚 degree in Kent鈥檚 speech-language pathology graduate program.
Do you want to mention anything else about your time spent at Kent State?
KSU was a great experience. There was a mix of quality learning in the classroom and practical application of learning in clinical experiences both on and off campus. I have stayed in touch with both professors and fellow graduates from KSU, and I would highly recommend the university to anyone looking to go into the field of speech language pathology.
What were some of your biggest challenges after graduating that shaped your career?
I was working in the long-term care medical setting when I was offered a rehabilitation management position. While I had never been a manager before, I did not want to pass up the opportunity. In this position the biggest challenge I faced was maintaining my ethical compass to advocate for when speech language services were necessary and when the services or amount of service were not appropriate for patients. Also, the long-term rehabilitation setting was ever changing and I managed five different buildings within a two-year span. I started to feel the need for greater job satisfaction. At the urging of my husband, I took a leap and started my private practice. It was challenging starting the new company and I felt an overwhelming responsibility to be the best of the best as clients were seeking me out for services. I also knew exactly how much they were spending each time they received services. This began to shape how I view the importance of evidence-based practice. I have found that honesty in therapy, in business practices and how I live my life will always shape my career for the better.
What advice do you have for current students going into the field?
Take a step back a few times during the year to really appreciate what you do each day. With any career, there will be difficulties. Our field is no different, but we are changing lives for the better. We are making an impact and a difference each day in the lives of our clients and their families. Never lose sight of this and do work you can be proud of each and every day.
What do you think is one of the biggest challenges facing our profession? What can be done to help the situation?
Our healthcare system is one of the biggest challenges facing our profession right now. They have the power to shape our salaries through reimbursement, impact our treatment by the number of visits allowed, and hinder access to care by providing limited coverage. Often times services are not covered for children and their families who really need additional support. There is a wealth of resources for us SLPs who want to help join the fight to request increased reimbursement. As Ohio SLPs we can do better by making our legislators more aware of the services we provide and our value.
Paula Rhyner, PhD, CCC-SLP
What year (years) did you graduate and which program(s) did you complete?
I earned a master's of arts degree in Speech Pathology in 1977 and my Ph.D. in Speech Pathology in 1984.
What were some of your biggest challenges after graduating that shaped your career?
The biggest challenge for me after finishing each of my degrees was relocating to cities where I had not previously lived, and in which I did not already have family or friends residing. My experiences at KSU and the experiences that I had in establishing myself personally and professionally in different communities helped to shape my career by providing opportunities for me to contribute to each community and to the field of speech-language pathology. I also developed strong lifelong friendships and professional networks that have been important to my growth as a person and a professional. All of these experiences were important to my decision to pursue a career in academia, where I felt that I could further make important differences in the lives of children with speech and language impairments and their families through my research and my role as a university professor in preparing of students majoring in speech-language pathology.
What has been your most significant professional accomplishment since graduating?
My most significant professional accomplishment since graduating is being elected a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association because this honor recognizes contributions that I have made to the field of speech-language pathology at the local, state, and national levels. I am humbled by this award and believe that I share the honor with many people that helped me over the years to become involved and make important differences in speech-language pathology.
Are you currently employed, and if so, where?
I am the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research in the College of Health Sciences and a Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.