Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had big, varied dreams. One day, I wanted to be an actress, swept up by the joy of pretending and storytelling. The next, I was fascinated by science, always asking questions about how things worked and why. I spent hours creating little “vehicles” from whatever I could find around the house my sister’s old stroller, a skateboard, imagining myself as an engineer. But the one thing that always captured my heart the most was watching young children grow, especially toddlers. The way they go from quiet observers to little chatterboxes has always seemed like pure magic to me. How does that happen? I wanted to understand that miracle.

During my first year of college, I stumbled upon speech-language pathology. I felt I had found the missing link: here was a career that combined everything I loved. In this field, I could be creative, especially working with little ones through play-based therapy. I could be a scientist, diving into the “why” and “how” of language and communication. And I could be an innovator, finding ways to support each unique child on their journey.

Studying communicative disorders, I found my true passion: working with kids who just need a little extra support to unlock all the potential inside them. My own winding journey taught me that success doesn’t come from fitting into a perfect mold; it’s about discovering who you are and sharing that with others. Now, as a speech-language pathologist, I get to live out all those childhood dreams and help others grow into their own unique, incredible selves.