Today: Mar 28, 2024

Meet NSSLHA: The Leading Speech-Language Club at Southern 

Robbie TiersteinContributor

Communication disorders major Serena Rudman, a senior, was recently elected as faculty liaison for the spring 2023 semester. 

“I work with members of the club including our club advisors and representatives from nationals of NSSLHA,” said Rudman. “I communicate the events that we’re doing, including the fundraisers. I also make posts for the club on Instagram and send out emails.” 

Rudman is planning on becoming a speech therapist and said that this club is “a great way to get more into the field and make more friends in your program.” 

Communication disorders major Alexandria Grenier, a senior, has been nominated as the vice president of this club for the spring 2023 semester. Grenier joined the NSSLHA last year as the first club that she was involved in at the university. 

“They really opened me with open arms and intrigued me,” said Grenier. “It intrigued me, I went to every meeting, and I was honored to be nominated secretary beginning in this semester. I wanted to take a bigger role in being vice president.” 

Grenier switched her major “late in the game” and did not know what she wanted to do when she grew up. She said that the NSSLHA “really intrigued” her as a club. 

“I wanted to work with kids and help them as much as I can,” said Grenier. “I always want to help someone out so that’s why I’m interested in being a part of this club.” 

Communication disorders major Kathleen Griffin, a senior, was recently appointed as the president of this club for the spring 2023 semester. Griffin was previously the club treasurer during her junior year and the vice president during the fall 2022 semester. She has been on the club e-board for around four semesters. 

“This club is looking to accomplish advocacy and raising awareness around communication disorders,” said Griffin. “That could be hearing loss, or language disorders, or speech and sound disorders, anything that falls under that umbrella.” 

“A lot of times, we’ll host tabling events or advocacy during chapter body meetings,” said Griffin. “We’ll write to state legislators about issues pertaining to the field of communication disorders. Every year we raise money for a scholarship that directly benefits a communication disorders student at Southern.” 

As president of this club, Griffin coordinates e-board meetings and makes sure that the members are “hitting all those marks.”  

“We’re trying to do everything that we can to be recognized for our advocacy,” said Griffin. “And we’re coordinating meetings and making sure our meetings have purpose for not just our e-board members but for the chapter members that take time out of their day to come to our meetings.” 

Griffin said that some members of the club, including herself, are going into the speech pathology field, while others can come from a variety of unique fields within the communication disorders department or different sectors.  

“Most members of our club are either planning on pursing speech pathology or audiology, but it is open to anyone in all majors who want to come,” said Griffin. 

Griffin said that although “there are no clients” that the club members are working with, the members are instead trying “to take what they learn in class,” including “developmental language disorders,” so that they could be prepared for what they could do in their careers after graduating from the university. 

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