Carly T.
Carly T.
Ready to take the next step?
M.S., Speech-Language Pathology, Class of 2013
Brooklyn College felt like home to me. I grew up a 20-minute drive down Flatbush Avenue. Attending would provide me with accessibility to affordable schooling while living at home as well as a comprehensive education. I was also familiar with Diana Rogovin Davidow Speech Language Hearing Center because, as a little girl, I would sit in the waiting room with my mom while my sister attended speech therapy. Aside from a reputable speech center, I knew the program was intimate with a cohort size of fewer than 40 students admitted each year. Plus, I’d be the third generation to attend Brooklyn College, as both my father and grandfather took classes there.
While the education was rigorous and well-rounded, I hold my clinical experiences I was afforded at Brooklyn College near to my heart. When I was younger, my grandfather suffered from numerous strokes across several years, which resulted in the slow decline of his cognitive-communication abilities. While too young to fully comprehend the gravity, I subconsciously absorbed the impact on his and my family’s quality of life, and sought to be a speech therapist that served the adult population. With endless thanks to my instructor Sharon Beaumont-Bowman, I had the memorable opportunity to participate in the launch of the Lee Silverman Voice Treatment clinic, where I underwent training and offered therapy to individuals with Parkinson’s disease. I had the honor of not only working rigorously with these dedicated individuals but was invited to participate in their social activities at the Brooklyn Parkinson Group. This provided me with my first experience working with adults and solidified my career path.
The curriculum at Brooklyn College was inclusive, with instruction on speech-language pathology through the continuum, from birth through geriatrics. I especially enjoyed the classes focused on disorders in the adult population like aphasia, dysphagia, and anatomy and physiology. In addition, I was able to hone my clinical skills while treating clients in the Brooklyn College clinic, with guidance from skillful supervisors, like Professor Abramowitz, who encouraged me to find my own voice and clinical intuition. The educational and clinical instruction prepared me for an externship and the workforce. I was fortunate to complete my adult clinical externship in brain injury rehabilitation at Mount Sinai Hospital, thanks to a great relationship between the department and the hospital. This opportunity equipped me with the skillset for the exact population I wanted to work in. Not long after receiving my full certification, I was hired by Mount Sinai for the same position I completed my externship in. I am now a clinical specialist there and have since supervised Brooklyn College students on externship.
The Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Program at Brooklyn College provided me with opportunities that helped me carve my career path. While the curriculum is demanding and the comprehensive exams are difficult, I graduated with an abundant knowledge and confidence in my clinical skills. I know the program has continued to develop since my graduation, offering more classes geared toward adult disorders, as they have always had an ample course curriculum for those seeking to work with children. Beaumont-Bowman, my professor and mentor while attending Brooklyn College, is now the program director, so I know the department lies in compassionate, skillful, and pioneering hands.
