Katie Curtiss Selected as P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education Grant Awardee

The Graduate College is pleased to announce Grace Van de Hoef, master’s student in the College of Health Professions, as the 2020 recipient of the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation’s Sara Haynes Endowed Scholarship. This scholarship recognizes exemplary speech-language pathology graduate students enrolled in Texas programs accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Recipients of this award demonstrate a commitment to clinical interventions for adults with neurogenic communication disorders. The scholarship provides support to attend workshops or seminars on neurogenic communication disorders, pursue an externship experience, or enroll in graduate courses in communication disorders. Grace is pursuing a master of science in communication disorders.

What is your brief academic history?
I attended Texas State University for my undergraduate studies, where I received a dual degree. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with a minor in psychology and a Bachelor of Science in communication disorders.

How did you become interested in your field?
I have always had a driving desire to help others. I found my passion for speech-language pathology through volunteer work. Through these experiences, I observed others’ hard work and dedication—and frustration when they could not express themselves in the way that they would like. I have seen the looks of shame and defeat, and a longing to remember or perform the tasks that others can. Overall, the tenacity that many clients show is inspiring, and it motivates me to be a caring and well-informed speech-language pathologist—and an even better human being. 

What is your current area of research and what do you hope to accomplish through your work?
I am interested in seeing common speech disorders through the lens of bilingualism and analyzing how bilingualism affects clients’ diagnoses, therapy, and treatment. I hope to help others receive the best treatment possible by becoming a bilingual speech-language pathologist and advocating for more research and practice in bilingual therapy.  My dual degree in both Spanish and communication disorders is a way that I can give back to the community through speech-language pathology. Because of this, I am eager to link my passion for the Spanish language, language learning, and speech-language pathology. I will make sure that all patients, regardless of their linguistic background, can access and benefit from speech-language pathology services. 

What advice would you give to future applicants?
Always apply! Scholarships like this allow you to write about your experiences and future aspirations. It's an opportunity to let your personality shine through! 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.