Olivia Loretto Pre-Professional 1 October 8

Olivia Loretto
Pre-Professional 1
October 8, 2018
Personal Statement
I first heard the term “Speech Therapy” when I was a child in elementary school. In my eyes going to speech therapy was a place where a few of my classmates got to leave class and essentially go play. I always wanted to be apart of that, but I never got to be. Years later I watched my Grandmother suffer from a stroke and lose all of her abilities to speak. Today, that term means so much more to me.
I want to be a Speech-Language Pathologist because helping people always makes me feel like I am making the most out of life. To help someone live a more positive live is something I aspire to give them. I also have chosen to pursue a career in speech pathology because of my Grandmother. For years I watched her suffer with little ways of communication, it was difficult and exhausting on my family. Watching the Speech-Language Pathologist work with her and help her attain more skills was so inspiring. I knew if I could help one family not have to experience the same pain mine did I would feel rewarded. Not only to my own satisfaction, but my Grandmothers’ too.
I should be admitted into the Speech-Language Pathology Program because of my passion for the profession. For me, entering the profession of Speech Pathology is much more than a simple career choice and has required that I overcome obstacles. As the first of my immediate family to graduate with a degree, achieving my Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Sciences Disorders from Ohio University will be a major accomplishment. Throughout my four years at the university, I also studied nursing. It was a major I knew would make my family proud, considering many members of my family are nurses. However, I soon realized I was not passionate about nursing. I spent a lot of time self-examining and volunteering to try to find my true passion. Once my Grandmother passed away I finally came to the conclusion of what I wanted to pursue, and knew this was something I was passionate about. I have not only thought about other career options, but I have began to pursue them as well. Still, I come back to a profession that is near and dear to my heart and I am confident I will excel within this profession.
If accepted, I would contribute my determination and passion into every aspect of the program. Academically I will put all of my effort into my work to excel in all of my classes. My volunteer experience will be integrated into all of my work. I will use my life experiences and family to motivate me to become a good person and an even better speech pathologist. I am determined to succeed in my career and be happy doing it.
As a child, watching my Grandmother work with Speech-Language Pathologists to help her speak again, I never realized it would be my future career. To me they were the people that magically helped her and helped change others current lives. Since then I have developed a much more mature understanding of the therapy. I am excited about how far I have come and where I am about to go. I am fortunate to have found a profession that will continue to inspire me to wake up everyday and make something good happen.