Considering Speech

Stacie Pearl and Beth Mazzei love their jobs-they are speech pathologists who work for BCSD. 

They get to work with students who have communication challenges that affect their learning or social interactions. But their career path was not a direct line and was certainly not something  they ever knew about as high school students–Pearl started off in advertising and Mazzei thought she wanted to be a CPA. Which is why they were excited to share their experience with BHS students in Nicole O’Sullivan’s SUPA class, The Development of Children.

“Every student learns differently–there is so much creativity and thinking that goes into teaching speech–which is something I really love,” said Pearl.

 “I love that the job is very hands-on and collaborative. I am always learning,” said Mazzei, “ And the field of speech-language pathology is expected to grow by about 15% over the next ten years, and AI is likely to enhance, not replace, the work SLPs do."

After explaining what type of education speech pathologists must complete, they spoke about the wide range of work settings and specialities within the field. 

“Besides a school setting, speech pathologists can work in a hospital setting, rehabilitation center or in private practice,” said Mazzei.

Students then got to answer questions and use some of the tools that Pearl and Mazzei use on a daily basis at speech skills stations to get a better understanding of the how of speech pathology.

“What is the most common speech issue in elementary school?” asked Mia Manzo.

"I work with many students to help them improve how they produce their sounds when speaking, and it is so rewarding to see their growth over time from being hard to understand to becoming clear and confident speakers."

At one station, students interacted with Augmentative and Alternative Communication iPads and COV/CORE boards which help people who have difficulty speaking communicate more easily. At another station, students used pictures and books that help build language skills, teach vocabulary and build sentence structure. Another station had visual supports for improving social skills.

“I use the AAC device with one of my students–this device has helped them to communicate and succeed by using symbols and pictures,” said Pearl. 

Students in the SUPA class were definitely intrigued by the presentation. As juniors and seniors, they are interested in child psychology, medicine, early education and law enforcement. After the presentation, their minds were open to the idea of speech pathology as a career path. 

“It’s a great class for students who want to pursue a career in child development,” said O’Sullivan, “Our guest speakers from the community–speech pathologists, social worker, bilingual educator, principal, physical and occupational therapist, teachers and Superintendent Dr. Gosh–open up a world of possibilities. I  love it when I hear back from former students who are studying child development in college or are working in the field.”