The West Virginia University School of Medicine’s Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders celebrated 15 Doctor of Audiology students and 44 Master of Speech-Language Pathology students during the traditional white coat ceremony.
The June 6 ceremony at the Okey Patteson Auditorium in the WVU Health Sciences Center in Morgantown signified that students have successfully completed their academic work and will now complete the remainder of their program in patient care settings.
“It was wonderful to see so many of our hard-working students reach this important milestone,” said Almara Hutchinson, PhD, CCC-SLP, coordinator of clinical education and assistant professor in the Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders. “We were especially excited to celebrate with students from across West Virginia and members of our SLP online program who traveled from states such as California and Florida. This ceremony marks the beginning of an exciting summer as our future speech-language pathologists and audiologists represent WVU in clinical placements across the country.”
In addition to receiving their white coats, students signed their professional code of ethics.
The keynote speaker for the event was Rhea L. Dyer, CCC-SLP, a 2008 graduate of the WVU Communication Sciences and Disorders program. She is the founder of Best Life Therapy, a private practice and licensed non-public agency certified by the West Virginia Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Education, that provides speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and behavioral and educational services to school districts across West Virginia and Ohio and numerous Birth-to-Three programs.
Meet the students
India Bryant of Leroy, West Virginia, and an online speech-language pathology student, will begin her clinical rotations in an adult medical setting at Encompass Health in Parkersburg, West Virginia. For the second portion of her rotation, she will continue working in a pediatric setting at Flinn Elementary School in Sissonville, West Virginia, where she currently serves as a speech-language pathology assistant. Her experiences at WVU have instilled a curiosity for learning, especially in the areas of specialization and new interests. With an open mind for her future career path, she wants to continue to explore the wide variety of settings and populations served by speech-language pathologists. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Ohio Valley University.
“My experience in the WVU Speech-Language Pathology program has been incredibly rewarding. As a first-generation graduate student from rural West Virginia, pursuing this degree has been both a personal and professional milestone. The faculty and staff have provided outstanding support, encouragement and mentorship throughout the program. WVU has challenged me to grow as a clinician, critical thinker and advocate while providing meaningful opportunities to apply classroom learning in real world settings. The program has strengthened my confidence, expanded my clinical knowledge and reinforced my commitment to helping individuals improve their communication and quality of life. I am grateful to be part of a program that is preparing future speech-language pathologists to make a difference in communities across West Virginia and beyond.”
Nathaniel Lucas of Wheeling, West Virginia, and a Doctor of Audiology student will begin his clinical rotations at Audiology Services of West Virginia, LLC, and WVU Medicine Golisano Children’s. With the knowledge he gained at WVU, he plans to specialize in pediatric audiology and work in a hospital setting, performing hearing screenings and diagnostics on newborns or assisting with consultations for inpatients with hearing difficulties. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in speech-language pathology and audiology from West Liberty University.
“Overall, my experience in the WVU Doctor of Audiology program has been one of self-discovery, valuable learning experiences and the development of several new connections.”
Kylie Pell of Wheeling, West Virginia, is a student in the Master of Speech-Language Pathology on-campus program. She will begin her clinical rotation in a pediatric private practice speech clinic in Morgantown. With the knowledge she gained at WVU, she plans to work in early intervention, supporting children under age 3 with speech and language difficulties. She earned Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from WVU in 2024 and worked at a local daycare where she realized the importance of identifying speech and language difficulties early so that children can interact with their environments and learn to their fullest potential.
“I have really enjoyed my time in the WVU Speech-Language Pathology master’s program. I have always had a tendency to connect more profoundly with course content when I can tell that my professors feel passionate about the material they are teaching, and that is exactly the experience I have had. The faculty are truly wonderful. They encourage us to explore our interests with different types of clients and age groups, and our clinical placements are chosen heavily based on our preferences.
“Overall, it has been a pleasure to get to know my peers in the program, as well as the faculty. I am so grateful to WVU’s Speech-Language Pathology program for helping me to feel confident in my clinical decision-making and my ability to be a lifelong learner as I go into my placements and beyond.”
To learn more about Communication Sciences and Disorders at the WVU School of Medicine, visit medicine.wvu.edu/communications-sciences-and-disorders/.