Highlights from this episode:
In the highlights section we will be choosing words, ideas, and feelings that we are taking away from each conversation. We discussed:
Drisana Medina, MS CF-SLP, shares her journey from SLPA in California to SLP grad in the Midwest as a Non-traditional First Generation student.
Drisana discusses how people in positions of power at instutions of higher learning consistently tried to deter her from entering the field of SLP. She describes the experience as dehumanizing when so much emphasis was put on numbers (GPA, SAT, GRE) and she didn't feel seen as a whole human.
The culture shock was real for Drisana as she moved away from everything and everyone she knew but she wasn't prepared for the cultural differences she would encounter. Being the only Latina and the only Bilingual student in her cohort felt lonely and brought on a lot of challenges she had not experienced before.
Drisana was an SLPA for a decade before getting to grad school and the added layer of her age differences with her peers was another challenge she hadn't anticipated as she focused on fulfilling her dream of becoming an SLP. Through her experiences she has grown in her confidence, her advocacy, and her understanding of issues impacting inclusion & equity in our field.
What we learned from Drisana is that this field is for you no matter how you get here!
Last words: Less GRE more Humanity!, Growing & Learning, Curiosity, Community & Relational.
Resources:
Beam!
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