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Graduate Student Spotlight- Olivia [SPRING2021]


This weeks spotlight is on Olivia. Olivia is a Double Duke!! Learn more about her below.  





Hi!! When I first got to JMU as an undergrad, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I started school as an elementary education major, but knew it was not the right path for me. One day my first semester here, someone told me about CSD, and I was immediately intrigued. I switched majors that same day, despite knowing practically nothing about speech-language pathology. For me, there was never a moment where I 100% knew I wanted to become a SLP. When grad school applications asked later about "why SLP?", I explained how the process for me was more gradual. During my undergrad time, I shadowed at a rehabilitation center, worked as a summer TA at a school for Autism, and interned at the local speech and language center. These experiences in addition to the courses I took lead me to where I am today, not a specific moment in time. When it came time to apply to grad school, I applied to all of the in state Virginia schools. My family lives in Richmond, and I knew I wouldn't survive being more than a few hours from there. After getting accepted into 3/4 VA schools, I knew JMU was the right choice! I have been so fortunate to learn and grow at this school, and am not ready to say goodbye next year!!!
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