A Year of Experiences (26)

A picture of my two mentors and I at Community Presentation Night.

The Honors Mentorship program became the best part of my day. I loved working with the children at Sharon Elementary and learning how to work with a team of speech therapists. My mentor and the three other speech pathologists showed me every experience possible. I was taught how to write IEPs, how to conduct an IEP meetings, how to take proper data during a therapy session, and how to have patience when the child does not understand the concept just yet. My mentorship at Sharon Elementary allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and gain the confidence I needed to grow in the knowledge of the speech pathology pathway. I think the most impactful trait I earned during my time at Sharon Elementary was patience. I worked with several types of kids and each one had a unique personality. I soon learned I needed to accept who these kids were and have fun and understand that they are still learning and growing just like me.

My mentor allowed me to see almost everything that she did on a normal basis. I pushed myself to go to her meetings with the parents of the students she taught, and I also came every single day ready to learn something new. I wrote down notes during speech therapy sessions and I asked questions about particular concepts. I challenged myself by asking questions and it really allowed me to see what I was interested in within the speech pathology domain. Having this mentorship allowed me to get a “taste” for my future and to see if I liked it or not in college. I wanted to see if this pathway was right for me and I was pleasantly surprised. This program has prepared me for the paper work involved in the future as well as the research portion needed throughout college. So, overall the Honors Mentorship Program has prepared me for the future at the University of Georgia (GO DAWGS!).

I was scared at first that I would not like speech pathology and all that it entails. I had never explored a pathway that would possibly be my future and that was a little unnerving. But, every day when I went into my mentorship that opinion changed. I began to love what I was learning and what I was doing, and I blossomed into a true believer of speech pathology. Researching my essential question was the best part because it allowed me to go deeper into an area that I was interested in. Because of the Honors Mentorship Program and my mentor, I have fallen in love with speech pathology. For all you future students going into this program, my one word of advice for you is to open your mind and ask questions. The more you experience during your time at your mentorship the more you understand your liking or disliking for the particular field. It is ok if you do not like where you are, but at least you know that now before you head off to college thinking that is what you want to. I thank the Honors Mentorship Program for my growth as a person and as a student and my pure love for speech pathology. Thank you for a great year!