Undergraduate spotlight
Research experience at Linguistics Labs inspires Jiyun Daisy Choi to pursue speech-language pathology
By Nicole North
During her first semester at Simon Fraser University (SFU), Jiyun Daisy Choi was considering options for introductory courses from a range of departments within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Daisy was exploring a list of course descriptions from the Linguistics Department when she realized that she had always been curious about studying language from a scientific perspective, she’d just never heard of the term linguistics.
Communication and Language (LING 100) was the first Linguistics course that Daisy took, and the more she discovered, the more certain she became that this field was the academic path she wanted to pursue. Daisy soon decided to take the plunge and commit to a Linguistics degree. She would ultimately finish her studies at SFU with a double major in French and Linguistics.
“I felt myself become more comfortable and self-confident day by day with the experience I gained working with real-life projects and research participants.”
Along the way, Daisy learned that her Linguistics degree could lead to a lucrative, rewarding career path in speech-language pathology (SLP) if she succeeded in securing a spot at an SLP MA program. Daisy pursued a Certificate in the Linguistics of Speech Science (CLSS) that was instrumental in the success of her application to UBC’s Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. She looks forward to working as a licensed professional, helping people who experience difficulty with communication.
Daisy was selected as a Student Speaker to give a speech at her convocation (see video below or via this link). Here, Daisy shares the story of her journey at SFU, including the rewards, the challenges, and the significant moments she will carry forward into the next stages of life.
Looking back at your SFU undergraduate experience, how has it changed you as a person?
I’ve had so many opportunities to become more proactive when going after my goals, and more accepting of when things don’t go exactly to plan. I’ve worked hard to better myself academically and professionally through opportunities that I’ve had to actively seek out. The sheer number of cold emails that I have sent!
I’ve also become a much more confident person. While I have always been in tune with myself and self-assured in my abilities, previously there were times when I didn’t pursue opportunities that I really wanted. I was convinced that I would simply not be selected or hired. I’m glad that I’ve evolved to become the type of person that has a “just do it” kind of attitude, which no doubt will help me get future career opportunities.
Looking back, all of my experiences at SFU began with taking a chance and sending an email or application. My lab work, my term as an undergraduate Teaching Assistant, my Undergraduate Student Research Award—I got these unique opportunities by trying my luck.
What inspired you to pursue a career in speech-language pathology?
I actually stumbled across the idea of this profession while looking into the types of careers a linguistics degree could lead to. I thought that speech-language pathology could be a great opportunity to combine my background in linguistics with my love for people-oriented and teaching-adjacent work. I was lucky to have my line of thought confirmed through my volunteering experiences while I was preparing my resume for graduate school applications.
Many other SLP hopefuls have great stories of the moment they decided to become an SLP, but I think it’s important for future applicants to feel okay if, like me, they don’t have that strong “aha” moment and instead find their passion for the job slowly through direct experience.
You gained experience as a Linguistics Research Assistant at the Language Learning and Development Lab and the Phonological Processing Lab. Tell us about the impact on your education and career goals.
My time as a Linguistics Research Assistant was essential in shaping my goals, both in the academic sense as well as personally. In terms of education, I think my research experience in general helped to boost the quality of my analyses, project outlines, ideas, and coursework. I felt myself become more comfortable and self-confident day by day with the experience I gained working with real-life projects and research participants.
“My time as a Linguistics Research Assistant was essential in shaping my goals, both in the academic sense as well as personally.”
Linguistics research experience is also heavily encouraged for those wanting to pursue an SLP career path, so my extensive time at these labs definitely helped in that regard. I was also lucky enough to score a semester working as a full-time Research Assistant through an Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA), which led to me taking on more responsibilities with the development of a completely new project for the Language Learning and Development Lab.
Working in research helps so much with gaining those important soft skills like effective communication, time management, and collaboration with others, just to name a few. You’re not just researching, you’re working as a professional with other professionals in a professional setting. It has made me realize just how much I actually enjoy doing this kind of work. My experience at SFU Linguistics has made me consider pursuing a thesis during my SLP program and inspired me to one day return to academia as a researcher and lecturer, once I’ve established myself as a clinician.
Daisy delivered a rousing convocation speech at her ceremony on June 11th. She spoke about her personal journey at SFU, the Indigenous languages revitalization initiatives at SFU Linguistics (INLP Program), the multiple pathways an SFU undergraduate education offers its students, and the spirit of community on campus.
Check out the video here: