Let’s get this out of the way: I never wanted to be a Speech Language Pathologist.
When I was young, I wanted to be a journalist. I also wanted to be Marie Osmond.
How I got to be an SLP
Over time I found myself considering career paths in counseling, medical technology and education. At the time I graduated high school, I narrowed that path to "High School Counselor" and off to college I went.
After completing my general university requirements, I had every intention of declaring my major in education and minor in psychology but days into the program, I knew in my gut that neither secondary education nor whole classroom teaching at any level would be my thing.
I ended up dropping my Ed classes and adding the only other classes that seemed interesting which were in Speech Pathology/Audiology. No idea what that was all about but I didn't really have any other option so I headed across campus to check them out: Introduction to Communication Sciences, Phonetics and Anatomy & Physiology.
Sorry, Not Sorry
As I took my seat in Anatomy & Physiology the professor began her lecture by stating the registrar made a mistake and “anyone who added this class via Add/Drop” was to see her at the end of class.
I opted NOT to see her at the end of class and graduated with my Master’s degree 4 years later. Sorry, not sorry, Dr. Z. I've been working as an SLP ever since.
Childhood Dreams Realized. Kind of.
I didn’t want to be a Speech Language Pathologist. I found speech pathology by happenstance. Or maybe it found me. Regardless, my childhood dreams of becoming a journalist and/or joining the Osmond family weren't forgotten completely.
Speech Pathology is not journalism but it includes SO. MUCH. WRITING. It isn't a part of the entertainment industry either but it certainly helps to be "entertaining" when working with little ones. I'm an introvert by nature but I'll do almost anything for the kiddos I work with. Even sing. Which says a lot.
What about you? What did you want to be when you grew up? How did that work out for you? Let me know in the comments below.
I wanted to be a jockey for the longest time. But my dream was dashed when at 10 I discovered I was too tall to be a jockey. My second choice was to be a painter like my dad. That dream was dashed as well when my dad told me that girls couldn’t be painters because their hands would get stained with paint. So teacher it was!