BECOMING A SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST (SLP) - ALUMNI PROFILE 

Rachel Blackmore

Why study linguistics?

In high school I was an English nerd, as I love reading and all kinds of writing. I also love learning different languages. When I took an introductory linguistics course at KPU, I didn't know much about what it entailed, but I was quickly hooked. It was so cool to see another side of language and all of its complexities. Dr. Murray Munro made a huge impact on my SFU linguistics experience; he was the first linguistics professor I had at SFU and his passion and teaching style made me excited to pursue this major as well as this career.

What attracted you to the SLP field?

My original career goal was to be an elementary school teacher, but when I learned about how SLP would incorporate my love of working with kids and my love of language, I knew it would be a fulfilling career choice for me. I also like how many settings SLPs work, whether it be in a school, in a hospital, private practice, etc. The course work is a really interesting mix of arts and sciences, so it's given me the opportunity to dabble into the medical field while allowing me to pursue linguistics and psychology. It is really special to be able to help someone find their voice and improve their communication skills, as both play such a vital part of connecting with the world and living your best life. 

How did you build a strong SLP application?

I think my variety of experience showed my dedication and passion for the field.  

I have worked at the Autism and Developmental Disorders Lab since September 2016. UBC is a school known for research, so I think my volunteer work in a lab helped me build a strong application. As part of your Letter of Intent, you are to describe your research interests; having worked in the lab, I had a much better idea of how research works and what topics are hot in the field. I ran my ideas past my lab manager and she gave me some great feedback which helped me write that part of the letter.  I also asked Rita Parmar, the Linguistics Undergraduate Advisor, for advice on how to write my LoI. She was truly an angel throughout my application process and she gave me lots of great tips. 

I volunteered with and shadowed SLPs in an elementary school as well as at BC Children's Hospital. Being able to shadow and participate in both contexts while working alongside SLPs was hugely beneficial both to me and to my application. I also work as a behaviour interventionist, which gave me lots of valuable experience working in a one-on-one therapy environment with kids. 

Any advice for future SLP applicants? 

Don’t be too hard on yourself over your GPA. Of course it's important, but make sure you also immerse yourself in the field through research and volunteer experience. In the end, a complete application looks better than just a high GPA (in my opinion at least!). Take it from someone who constantly stressed over her GPA not being competitive enough and thought she'd never get in on her first try! It's quite impossible to get that crazy high GPA while volunteering in multiple places, working, and trying to maintain some sort of social life. Be gentle with yourself. If you are truly dedicated and passionate about this career and put the work in, it will show. You can do anything you set your mind to!