Our next student spotlight is for Rebekah! She is not only a Double Duke, but also a first generation college student.
Hi everybody! My name is Rebekah Jones. I am a first year graduate student in JMU's SLP program. I completed my undergrad here as well, and I am a first-generation student! I guess you could say I had a more "traditional" route from undergrad to grad school, but I finished undergrad in three years which is definitely untraditional. It was difficult to start taking sophomore-level classes as a freshman (and first-gen student who had no clue what she was doing), but I don't regret that decision even though it made an already challenging major slightly more challenging. In undergrad, I was in the honors college and completed a thesis in the area of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and sensory integration therapy, which sparked my interest in my master's thesis that I am currently working on (ASD and pragmatics!). I loved my time here in undergrad and felt like I was able to get to know the CSD professors, which made my transition to grad school smoother. I always felt supported to explore other schools, but ultimately knew that JMU was the best place for me because of the incredible clinical experiences and research opportunities. I came into this program 100% certain I wanted to work with pediatric populations, specifically ASD. While that is still an area I have an extreme passion for and interest in, I also have found myself interested in the more medical side of the field - specifically dysphagia. My advice is to not limit yourself in your clinical experiences and allow yourself to change your mind! I know grad school is a scary thing to think about, but this program prepares you to be successful and gives you a lot of support along the way. Don't forget to take a breath and remember that your hard work will pay off (even if it doesn't feel like it right now)!