As I’ve been reflecting on Speech Pathology Australia Week this week, I realised something pretty special…
It’s my 20-year graduation anniversary!
20 years of being a speechie.
It got me thinking back to how I even found my way into this profession. When I left school, I honestly didn’t really know anything about speech pathology. It hadn’t been on my radar at all.
Then my darling Oma had a stroke and lost her ability to talk.
I remember seeing how profoundly this changed her life — and ours. Communication, something I had always taken for granted, suddenly became incredibly important. I became fascinated by the role of speech pathologists and how they could help someone find their voice, communicate their needs and reconnect with the people around them. I remember watching my Oma work so hard to learn how to talk again.
And somehow, that experience led me here.
Twenty years later, I feel incredibly grateful that I stumbled into a profession that I have grown to love so deeply.
Over those 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside so many families, working with an incredible team and supporting communication in all its different forms. I am wholeheartedly neurodiversity affirming and believe that communication, at its crux, is about a person being able to be and connect with the world as their genuine selves.
Twenty years on, I’m still learning, still growing and still passionate about the power of communication and connection.
I often think about my Oma and how her journey changed the direction of my life. I wonder if she ever realised that?
She inspired me to find a profession I love.
