Scholar: Jessica Rojas
Year Awarded: 2017
Major: Communicative Disorders (Online Master of Science Program)
About Jessica: Jessica was born and raised in Laredo, Texas. She still lives in Laredo and works as an assistant speech therapist for a local rehab clinic. Jessica attends CSUN via the online master’s program in Communicative Disorders through the TSENG College. After she completed her undergraduate degree, she wanted to keep learning so she searched for a graduate program. The local university in Texas did not offer a master’s degree in communication disorders, however, she did not want to leave her family in order to obtain one. Fortunately, she found CSUN’s online program. The program is ideal because it has allowed her to attend a prestigious university and live in Laredo near her family and the clinic she works for. Receiving this scholarship means the world to Jessica and brings her one-step closer to her dream of becoming a speech-language pathologist. She would like to complete her master’s degree and serve her community by providing speech therapy to children and adults. Jessica would like to express her immense gratitude to Ms. Wade; she said it is this kind of generosity that helps individuals like her continue their education.
About the Scholarship: An instructor at CSUN for over 25 years, Helen Sherman-Wade remains active within the university through activities with the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences, the Language, Speech and Hearing Center and the alumni chapter. She established this scholarship to support graduate students who have decided to further their education after already serving as speech-pathologists. It is also available to students who can clearly describe how a future as a speech-pathologist would impact their lives.
Scholar: Savana Aghamal
Year Awarded: 2017
Major: Speech-Language Pathology (Communication Disorders & Sciences)
About Savana: Twenty years ago, Savana’s family migrated to the United States from Iran to escape discrimination and post-war conditions. Growing up with a sibling with a speech impediment, she has witnessed communication difficulties firsthand and seen how a speech impediment can be overcome with the assistance of a great speech-language pathologist; a profession she aspires to be part of. After Savana graduated from CSUN's undergraduate program in communication disorders, she knew she wanted to continue her studies in the graduate program because of the quality education offered. Savana is grateful to receive the Mediscan Scholarship. She aspires to graduate with honors and to apply her knowledge on a daily basis in her community. Her long-term goals include managing or starting her own therapy center that offers exceptional speech and language therapy services for low-income communities in Los Angeles.
About the Scholarship: Mediscan Staffing Services is a provider of highly qualified professionals to schools and healthcare facilities throughout the country. The company believes that investing in higher education is the key to a satisfying and successful career. Mediscan created this scholarship in an effort to encourage high-caliber education and top-notch career opportunities to students in the Communication Disorders and Sciences Department. The scholarship is available to current students who plan to work as speech language pathologists upon graduation.
Scholar: Laura Barajas
Year Awarded: 2017
Major: Speech-Language Pathology (Communication Disorders and Sciences)
About Laura: Laura is a resident of Oxnard and currently working at an after-school program with children. At the program, she teaches children as well as assists them with their homework. She greatly enjoys helping kids and seeing them prosper, two reasons why she chose to study speech-language pathology. Laura wants to help children express themselves both verbally and non-verbally. Her goals include working at a school or early intervention program. Receiving this scholarship has helped her, not only financially, but also personally as a motivator to continue in the pursuit of her career. It meant that people believed in her to become a speech-language pathologist who will influence the lives of children. Laura would like to thank Ruth and Lee Forman for supporting students’ aspirations and for helping her in her own pursuit of becoming a speech-language pathologist.
About the Scholarship: Ruth Lindeck Forman is a Speech Language Pathologist and Speech Communication Specialist who received her master's degree from CSUN. She works to improve personal and cross-cultural communication and race relations through consulting, lecturing and writing. A desire to help students complete their degree programs in the department of Communication Disorders and Sciences led Ruth and her husband Lee to establish this scholarship endowment. They consider the gift a tribute to the department and to the education Ruth received at CSUN.
Scholar: Amber McAfee
Year Awarded: 2017
Major: Speech-Language Pathology
About Amber: Amber had a life-changing experience with a speech-language pathologist who helped her overcome a speech impediment as a child. That experience allowed her to see the positive lasting effects of the profession and the importance of relating to patients and their families. As a CSUN undergraduate student in the Communication Disorders and Sciences program, Amber knew she wanted to attend the master’s program to gain more experience. While attending CSUN, she actively sought opportunities to help build her professional knowledge outside the classroom. This included attending many events and volunteering at Northridge Hospital Medical Center (NHMC), which prepared her for her current full-time position as a clinical fellow at NHMC. Amber would like to continue working in the medical field of speech-language pathology. She is interested in trying telepractice therapy in the future (an application of telecommunications technology for the delivery of speech language pathology and audiology professional services at a distance, done by linking clinician to client or clinician to clinician for assessment, intervention, and/or consultation).
About the Scholarship: Ruth Harris was the first full-time coordinator of the Language, Speech, and Hearing Center. Her career in the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences spanned nearly 30 years, and although she is now retired, she engages with the university as a volunteer and donor. Ruth established this award to help support a graduate student who has demonstrated strength in collaboration with fellow students, supervisors and other professionals. Award recipients are exemplar of effective and culturally sensitive communication and treatment–the hallmark of the field of speech pathology and audiology.
