Student Finds Warmth, Positivity in Speech-Language Pathology Program
| Khi Ellison, a College of Health Professions speech-language pathology student, said she experienced something new when entering the program last fall — a supportive environment.
“You know, I’m not really used to being welcomed with open arms, especially in the medical field,” Ellison said. “I was surprised at how welcoming and understanding and how friendly and ready to go everyone was.”
Ellison, who was diagnosed at birth with spinal muscular atrophy, uses a wheelchair.
“My mom is a nurse practitioner, so, I really became heavily interested in the medical field, and I like things that deal with the brain and body and just learning,” she said.
Her path to the program wasn’t a straight one. After a brief time as a pre-medical undergraduate student, Ellison took a class in communications sciences and disorders at the suggestion of a close friend. It sparked her imagination and passion for learning in a new way.
Despite a 4.0 grade point average, she was discouraged by some college advisors from pursuing a career in speech-language pathology.
“I just think that they were not seeing the bigger picture,” Ellison said. “They were seeing the chair and not the person. I mean, it happens, and I got through it.”
Her next stop involved a four-year stint teaching in public schools. During that time, she gained some experience teaching dyslexic students, and her interest in helping children and adults with communication difficulties grew further. Ellison applied to the speech-language pathology master’s degree program in the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, was accepted and started classes in August 2024.
That first semester sometimes felt a little overwhelming, but Ellison said her instructors and professors have been positive and encouraging. Outside the classroom, she also got some hands-on training.
“I had mostly adult clients. So, it was really kind of new for me to maneuver in that space. It was very eye-opening, and I enjoyed it a lot. Just watching their progress through the semester and watching them, you know, take little steps to their goals is very fulfilling,” she said.
In that way with her clients, Ellison is passing on a life lesson she learned from her mother and father while coping with the challenges from spinal muscular atrophy.
“Honestly, my parents just told me, ‘You do anything you put your mind to.’ Limitations don’t really define who you are,” she said. “That’s just something I always grew up hearing. So, they were always encouraging.”