University of Akron Personal Statement When I look back on my life thus far, I must admit that my dance career of 17 years has significantly influenced who I am today. I enrolled as an undergrad, at Miami University with the intention of finding a major that would facilitate my passion of working with children. I discovered this passion at an early age when I became a dance teacher at my local dance studio. My experience with dance taught me that dedication and a love for what one does, plays a large role in determining one’s happiness and success. It wasn’t until the end of my sophomore year, and after much deliberation that I was ready to declare a major. I wanted to be sure that I was choosing a career that I would be passionate about 30 years later. After shadowing a Speech-Language Pathologist for the first time, I quickly realized how my dream of helping children was going to be fulfilled. Soon after, I made the decision to pursue a degree in Speech Pathology. …show more content…
As an undergraduate student, I was a member of the executive board of a student run dance organization. I was responsible for leading and managing company rehearsals each week. During my senior year, I planned, and led activities during supervised therapy sessions with a child on the autism spectrum. The activities were designed to improve the client’s overall expressive and receptive language skills. Thanks to this clinical experience, I discovered how much I enjoyed working with children with autism. Given the wide range of abilities, I find the work challenging, yet truly rewarding. This experience sparked a serious interest in working with children with autism in the