“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” I hear one of my grandmother's much-loved quotes echoing in my head. Apprehension consumed me when I entered college as an undecided major. Unexpectedly, everything changed a few weeks into my first semester. My grandmother had a stroke that ultimately affected her speech and was in dire need of a speech therapist. This is what initially sparked my interest in this field. I was determined to work with the geriatric population because of the experience and connection I had with my grandmother. However, the irrefutable fact that this is my passion became evident when I began working as an assistant teacher in Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech. At Clarke, I currently teach in a self-contained classroom for four-year-olds who are deaf and hard of hearing. who learn to listen and speak. I assist under the direction of the class teacher in planning, preparing and executing lessons using a listening and spoken language approach. I have the opportunity to record, transcribe and analyze language samples on a daily basis. In addition, I facilitate the child's communication in class and ensure the postponement of activities between class and individual speech therapy sessions. Each week I contribute to and participate in meetings with the education team to discuss each child's progress using the Speech, Language and Listening Acquisition Scales (CASLLS). I currently have a deaf child in my class who was recently unilaterally implanted. This child had no language but showed progress in preverbal behaviors. A few months into my class, we began to see a range of semantic intentions across two word combinations. The simple sentence......middle of document......graduation rate in this field once I obtain my Certificate of Clinical Competence from ASHA. As a ________ student, I will strive to become the best speech-language pathologist I can be. My passion for speech-language pathology will help me exceed program expectations. Being an assistant professor at Clarke has not only strengthened my passion for working in a speech and hearing center, but it has also provided me with the knowledge and practical experience I need to succeed in graduate school. The experiences I had at work and as an undergraduate strengthened my dedication to this field of study. Therefore, I will be an incredible asset to the diverse student body at _________. I look forward to learning more about the different research, diagnostic assessments, and treatment methods for people with speech and language disorders in your accredited program..