I’m a second-year at Whittier College and I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about which major fits best for me. I’m currently in the Whittier Scholars Program, in which I can combine music and art therapy to create my own major in speech therapy. In this program I plan to use majors such as child development, psychology, biology, and art/music to understand the complexity of linguistics and therapy. I believe creativity allows people to express themselves in challenging yet fun ways. Art has been my outlet and favored way of expressing the way I feel, allowing me to translate it better through different mediums than through words.
I chose this career path because I was born with moderate to severe hearing loss (I wear hearing aids) and experienced speech therapy while I was growing up. When I was a baby, the doctors told my parents I wouldn’t be able to speak or even attend a mainstream school. Now they wish I would stop talking. This life experience has allowed me to connect with others and have compassion for those who are different. I am hoping to find more effective therapies and to inspire others to embrace who they are. It’s important to stop teaching the idea that everyone is the same because we aren't and we have different struggles. With a disability or not, uniqueness should be celebrated not separated.
I also want to normalize the idea of going to any type of therapy. It’s a beautiful process of growth and there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Growing up, I often felt like an outcast because I didn’t know anyone else who could understand the way that the world sounded through my ears. Thus, I believe I will be able to positively support and advocate for those who need someone to connect with. A singular voice is so powerful and I aspire to help anyone find and use it.
Although I haven’t decided on a set major, I want others to understand that it’s okay to not know and it’s okay to change majors as well. I feel confident and prepared for whichever academic path I follow because I know I will be able to do something I love.
