A Passion for Speech-Language Pathology

Growing up, Jill Wilson knew she wanted to help people. After observing many Speech-Language Pathologists, she recognized the diversity of patients she had the opportunity to work with and settings she was able to work in and knew speech-language pathology was the perfect fit for her.

 Wilson now teaches and helps supervise students in the Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic. Wilson is also the online program coordinator for the online Speech-Language Pathology Coursework program. The program helps to prepare those students wanting to pursue a career in speech-language pathology.

 She explains her passion for speech-language pathology and the coursework program.

How did you become interested in Speech-Language Pathology?

Growing up, I always knew I wanted a career where I could help people. The idea of a profession in a medical field was interesting to me but I knew that I also wanted to work with children. After lots of research and observations, I found that speech-language pathologists were able to provide support to individuals of all ages and in a variety of settings. This was a field where I could work in a medical setting (hospital, nursing home, or private practice) or a school setting. As I took my first course at UNK and learned about all of the disorders that speech pathologists treat, I knew this field was for me. Not only could I support the language development of a child with Autism, I could also help a patient to eat and drink following a stroke, or assist an individual with a traumatic brain injury to speak again. It is such a vast field and with the help of a speech-language pathologist, our patients are able to communicate their wants and needs, which may not have been possible before our services.  

What does the online speech-language pathology coursework consist of and who is a good fit for it?

The online Speech-Language Pathology coursework consists of 12 online Communication Disorders courses.  These courses are the prerequisite classes needed before applying to graduate school for Speech Pathology or Audiology. 

Students that would be a “good fit” for this program would have a Bachelor’s Degree in any area other than Communication Disorders and a desire to attend graduate school to earn a degree in Speech Language Pathology or Audiology.  Students should have a passion for helping others and a desire to learn more about the variety of communication disorders that speech pathologists evaluate and treat.  Students need to be goal driven, self-motivated, and organized.  Because these classes are online, students have to be diligent about completing their work in a timely manner.  Students are able to work full time while taking these classes and can enroll at the beginning of any semester. 

What is your role in UNK’s online speech-pathology coursework program?

My role in the UNK online Speech-Pathology coursework is to coordinate the program and advise students, once they enroll. As a student is contemplating going back to school, I will answer any questions about our program, as well as the field of speech-language pathology and/or audiology. It is important for students to have all of the answers to their questions so they can make the best decision possible about going back to school. Once the student enrolls into the program, I then advise the student and assist them every step of the way. I set up a course sequence for the student so they know approximately how long it will take to complete the program, based on the number of courses they want to take per semester. I answer specific questions in regard to navigating the various systems used at UNK and advise the students each semester on which courses to enroll in. I also teach two of the online classes, which helps me to get to know each of my students even better.  

What approach do you take in helping students?

The approach that I take to helping students in the online program is to always keep an open line of communication and provide support to the student, as needed, throughout their time at UNK. It can be stressful to go back to school and many of our online students are also working full time, so the more support I can provide to my students the more successful they can be in their classes.  Even though my students are online and 95% of our communication is via email, I still feel like I get to know my students very well, which is so important to me. 

What is the most gratifying part of your job?

The most gratifying part of my job is when my students complete the leveling course work and are ready to apply to graduate school. I love hearing from the students once they receive their acceptance letters! It is awesome knowing that the students will get to continue towards their goals and make an impact in the lives of their patients in the years to come. 

What is the most interesting thing in your office?

The most interesting thing in my office is my flower tape dispenser. While this does not sound interesting to most, it is from one of my students that I had the pleasure to work with when I was employed in the public schools. This student had significant communication needs and taught me so much about being a speech-language pathologist. In my first year out of college, he taught me more than I ever taught him. His persistence to communicate taught me to never give up on my goals. Every time I look at this flower, it reminds to continue to share my passion for the field of speech language pathology with my students. If I can assist my students to become quality speech-language pathologists, then they can go out and influence the lives of that many more individuals.

Ready to take the next step to become a Speech-Language Pathologist? Learn more about the online Speech-Language Pathology Coursework or contact us at 1.800.865.6388 or unkonline@unk.edu.