Sixteen undergraduate Speech and Hearing Science students have volunteered to serve as department Ambassadors this academic year. The Ambassadors will assist with undergraduate recruitment events and meetings. They will also help manage Instagram and Facebook accounts focused on the OSU Speech and Hearing Science undergraduate major. (Be sure to follow!) We are thrilled to have these students represent what we think is the coolest major on campus!
2022-2023 Ambassador list:
Lexi Anderson, Melike Baspinar, Kaia Calhoun, Tori Clark, Madelyn Gibson, Ava Hoersten, Madeline Jackson, Liv Krause, Ally Leff, Laura Martel, Olivia Rein, Emma Ruskowski, Ashley Sukoff, Lucy Weller, Hannah White, Marleigh Winterbottom
Get to know some of these awesome students and their thoughts about SHS at OSU:
MELIKE BASPINAR, SENIOR
What areas in SHS are piquing your interest right now? I am taking an Aural Rehabilitation course right now, and it is interesting to learn about a speech-language pathologist's role in this area of our field!
TORI CLARK, JUNIOR
What led you to SHS at OSU? I came to OSU set on nursing, but got a job as a PCA at the Wexner Medical Center and quickly changed my mind. I realized that I didn’t want to do bedside care, but still had a passion for helping people, which led me to speech pathology in SHS!
What areas in SHS are piquing your interest right now? Right now, I am really interested in working with the pediatric patient population. I’d still love to work in a clinical setting, but in an outpatient care setting rather than inpatient. I think it would be really fun to work with kiddos who have ASD!
MADELYN GIBSON, SENIOR
What led you to SHS at OSU? I have a psychology major and was taking a behavioral neuroscience class during my sophomore year. In that class we talked a little bit about aphasia, and I became super interested. One of my friends in the SHS major here suggested I take SPHHRNG 2230, and after the first week I fell in love and knew it was the right place for me! I actually grew up accompanying my brother to his speech therapy sessions at Ohio State, so being in Pressey Hall truly feels full circle for me:)
What areas in SHS are piquing your interest right now? I am still really interested in Aphasia and my plan as of right now is to pursue a career helping adults post stroke and TBIs. This summer I was able to volunteer at the OSU Aphasia Initiative and it was truly so amazing. I would definitely suggest everyone look into volunteering with them because it was the highlight of my summer!
LAURA MARTEL, JUNIOR
What led you to SHS at OSU? At Ohio State, I am a member of the Health Sciences Scholars program. Since so many students begin their college journey with a specialization in pre-medicine, this program makes a point of exposing new college students to potential career paths beyond that of medicine. As a first-year student, I attended the Speech and Hearing Science information session sponsored by Health Sciences Scholars in hopes of learning more about the field. During this meeting, I became infatuated with speech-language pathology, and later that day, I decided to pursue Speech and Hearing Science as my new major.
What areas in SHS are piquing your interest right now? I am very interested in pursuing a career in bilingual speech-language pathology. I am learning American Sign Language, so I am hoping to work with children who are Deaf and hard-of-hearing to help address aspects of their fluency, literacy, and learning.
ASHLEY SUKOFF, JUNIOR
What led you to SHS at OSU? I am from New York so OSU is not close. The speech department is definitely what drove me here. OSU has such a nice and close knit community within our department. It makes such a big school feel more manageable and personable. OSU also has so many opportunities to explore different career paths within the major. Whether that means learning about adult speech, kids speech, or hearing loss it will allow you to work in different areas in the future such as a school or hospital. The faculty is phenomenal here at OSU as they really take their time to help you understand the material. Everyone wants you to succeed.
What areas in SHS are piquing your interest right now? Right now I am leaning towards working in pediatrics either with traumatic brain injury or in a school setting. I am still not decided, but I am beyond excited to see where my next couple of years take me!
MARLEIGH WINTERBOTTOM, FRESHMAN
What led you to SHS at OSU? I’ve always had a passion for helping kids, so in finding Speech and Hearing Sciences, I knew this career piqued my interest to pursue. As a top research university, I knew that Ohio State would provide me with vast opportunities at my fingertips. There are so many ways to get involved as an Undergraduate in research, student organizations and clubs, as well as outside opportunities in the city of Columbus. All of which, I knew would be great factors in setting me apart for grad school and advancing my knowledge in the field.
What areas in SHS are piquing your interest right now? Within the Speech and Hearing Science field, I am very interested in working in pediatrics with a specialty in Deaf and Disabled communities. I am currently pursuing 2 minors at OSU in American Sign Language and Disability Studies to aid me in that goal and further my knowledge on these interests.