Student Testimonials

Felicia Francois

I am beyond grateful I chose to pursue my graduate degree in speech-language pathology at BU. The opportunities I had to engage in research, the specific training in the subfield I love the most, and the chance to build a strong network of fellow SLPs was worth so much. I decided to become an SLP with a specific interest in voice disorders and gender-affirming voice care. While at BU, I worked as a graduate research assistant and also did a master’s thesis focusing on gender-affirming voice care in the STEPP lab, a lab that is focused on voice disorder and gender-affirming voice research. Working with Professor Cara Stepp and Daniel Buckley, SLP, on my thesis project was an invaluable experience that has led to countless opportunities post-graduation. While at BU, I was placed in clinical externships that aligned with my interests while also giving me the opportunities to experience other important parts of our fields. I was placed in a medical voice placement as well as a placement at the BU Voice Clinic that gave me the exact skills I needed when I moved on to a voice-specific clinical fellowship. I now have my dream job at the USC Voice Center, and I owe a lot of my success to my time at BU. Overall, if I had the chance to redo my journey, I would most definitely choose BU and Sargent College again.

Martina Lopez

Sargent College’s MS-SLP program offers real-world learning opportunities, an in-depth exploration of the field, vast research opportunities, and an impressive alumni network. The diversity of clinical experiences offered allow students to develop the clinical skill set necessary to be successful, evidence-based clinicians. My experiences at Boston University have laid a strong foundation on which to build a professional career and I am deeply enthusiastic about the prospect of furthering my knowledge and honing these skills as I begin my clinical fellowship. I have such respect and gratitude for this program and I am honored to be part of this community!

Rachel Norotsky

I began the MS-SLP program after earning my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Spanish. I was initially attracted to the program because of the research opportunities and emphasis on generalist clinical training. As a student without a background in speech-language pathology, I was looking to work across age groups, settings, and disorder areas to become a highly marketable SLP and discover what I enjoyed most. My experience at BU was so much more than I could have hoped for, much of which I attribute to the academic faculty and clinical placement team. Coming from large undergraduate classes where professors didn’t always know my interests, I was so pleased with how invested BU professors were in helping me succeed academically and obtain the best clinical experiences for my career goals. Completing my Master’s thesis in the STEPP Lab led to presenting at a conference and submitting a journal publication that will help start my career as a clinician-researcher. The mentorship I received allowed me to begin my dream medical fellowship upon graduation. Lastly, I am so grateful for the camaraderie of my cohort. As a group, we were incredibly collaborative in terms of studying for exams, sharing resources, and planning social events together on weekends. I feel immense gratitude for the Sargent community and the training I received in the MS-SLP program.

Kara Sheftic

I completed the combined BS/MS Speech Language Pathology program at Boston University, which was a rigorous and incredibly rewarding experience. The professors were so knowledgeable in their respective areas with highly relevant assignments. I found writing detailed case studies, watching videos, engaging in in-depth discussions, and direct contact with clients/patients to be helpful in the learning process. While I developed an interest in medical speech pathology through my coursework, BU offered well rounded clinical experiences spanning across the lifespan beginning in their very own clinic and expanding to externships in highly regarded school and medical settings. BU’s clinical coursework, as well as mentorship from my professors and clinical supervisors, prepared me for my transition into my clinical fellowship and my own clinical practice today.  I’ve reached the point in my career where I have started mentoring students in the inpatient rehab setting. I continue to be impressed by the high degree of professionalism and disorder knowledge that BU students bring to their externships.