When Samantha Vasquez graduated from college, she had a degree in Philosophy and was planning on law school. However, serendipity landed her in the field of remedial literacy intervention, where she worked for five years, developing a passion for the language aspects of literacy. Working collaboratively with speech pathologists and observing their interdisciplinary practice helped her decide that speech pathology was the right career for her.

When COVID-19 hit, her path shifted. With a child in kindergarten, Samantha opted to stay home to facilitate her daughter's schooling. And soon after, she gave birth to a son, adding to her family. 

Returning to School

As life got back to normal, Vasquez decided to return to school to pursue speech pathology, where she could grow her skills and increase her scope of practice.

Transitioning to the Master's Program

After completing the CSHF, Samantha was accepted into ÃÛÌÒapp's Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology. 

As for the transition into the master's program, Samantha shared, "It has been seamless. The familiarity with the professors, knowing the rigor of the programs, and how well I was prepared for graduate coursework all contributed."

Samantha is thriving in master's program. "My experience has been amazing! The care and consideration poured into the courses to include up-to-date evidence-based practice, neurodiversity affirming and whole-person care, and the overall rigor of the programs has thoroughly prepared me to begin my externships. I feel confident in my clinical skills and have felt well-supported throughout the entire program. Every instructor truly wants us to succeed."

She is also benefiting from close mentorship through an assistantship with Dr. Brian Kreisman. "I have been working with Dr. Brian since I was in the certificate program when I was taking his courses in audiology and aural rehabilitation. I did a project for aural rehabilitation that we took to MSHA in 2024 as a poster presentation. After, I applied to be his graduate assistant when I was admitted to the master’s program. Now we are working together on a couple of research projects, he is my advisor for my master’s thesis, and I assist with grading and providing feedback to his students in the certificate courses."

Balancing School with Life Commitments

With a husband and two young children, Samantha has a lot to balance. How does she do it? "I treat school as my full-time job; I have set hours that I view myself as on the clock and off the clock. Working from home forces me to separate the two intentionally. My children are my number one priority, so I appreciate the flexibility that being a distance education student allows."

Inspiring the Next Generation

While it's not easy to manage school and family life, Samantha knows that her kids will benefit from watching her work. "I aim to set a good example as a role model for my children to balance work and life, but I also really enjoy the work I am doing. They see that I am passionate about learning and achieving my goals, and that I am in school to help people."

Study Speech Pathology at ÃÛÌÒapp

While many undergraduate students start in a speech pathology program as freshmen, other adults come to the career later in life. ÃÛÌÒapp's online Certificate in Speech and Hearing Foundations is designed to prepare those with a bachelor's degree in another field to be ready to apply for graduate programs in speech-language pathology.

ÃÛÌÒapp offers our own Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology with two modes - on-campus and online. Students who successfully complete the CSHF program are guaranteed admittance to ÃÛÌÒapp's distance education master's program.