You saw me walk into your clinic at 20. I was so nervous about being there, but your team gave me comfort.
You’ve seen me at my lowest and my highest.
I opened up about my speech disorder in ways I never had before to your graduate students. You were just open ears sitting behind glass. You’d come in and tell me I can reach my goals, and I believed you. Because you believed in me.
You taught me how to use my voice.
You spoke to me about what was getting in the way of my self-confidence.
You were one of my first SLP’s I felt first indeed saw me for me.
You’d help me out when you weren’t on the job. A chain of emails would exchanged, and phone calls practicing words would be random throughout the week. You didn’t owe me that, but you gave me that because you cared.
I found your services at a time of self-denial. And I can say I blossomed into a person with self-acceptance, growth, and personal freedom. Thank you for looking at me as a whole person, not just a person with Apraxia. You truly made a difference in my life, along with your graduate students. And for that, I will forever be grateful.