Student Leaders Join Forces to Address Leadership and Diversity

Abstract

You have accessThe ASHA LeaderASHA News1 Mar 2012Student Leaders Join Forces to Address Leadership and Diversity Vicki R. Deal-Williams and Melanie Johnson Vicki R. Deal-Williams Google Scholar More articles by this author and Melanie Johnson Google Scholar More articles by this author https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.AN4.17032012.37 SectionsAbout ToolsAdd to favorites ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In In line with the dialogue that led to the integration of NSSLHA and ASHA, NSSLHA leaders were invited to participate in the 2011 Minority Student Leadership Program (MSLP), which took place at the 2011 convention in November. MSLP brings together students from racial/ethnic minorities historically under-represented in communication sciences and disorders (CSD) to build and enhance leadership skills, learn about ASHA, and interact with CSD leaders. The program is designed for CSD undergraduate seniors, as well as master’s, AuD, and PhD students. In 2011, ASHA invited NSSLHA Executive Council members to participate in the MSLP Leadership Seminar, to extend this leadership development opportunity to NSSLHA’s student leaders. Led by Lee Mun Wah, a nationally acclaimed lecturer and master diversity and communications trainer, the group of about 50 NSSLHA councilors and MSLP participants considered and evaluated their leadership skills. The workshop focused on resolving conflict, exploring intent and effect of communication, practicing responsive inquiry, and broadening listening skills for success across cultural dimensions. “The skills from this seminar will be extremely useful in current and future clinical work,” said Caleb McNeice, first-year AuD student at the University of Memphis and NSSLHA Region 3 councilor. “In my clinical placement, we provide services to non-English-speaking clients. Through this seminar I feel I have become more aware and observant of the differences between my culture and that of my clients.” The focus on listening skills also will be helpful, according to Amy Nelloms, a second-year AuD student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who was a 2011 MSLP participant. “The importance of listening and how to listen more closely were the most apparent skills I took away from the workshop,” Nelloms said. “I learned that regardless of cultural background, listening and being in the moment with someone will benefit both patient and clinician.” Nelloms also noted that the workshop challenged participants to step outside of their comfort zones. “I need to remember that not everyone thinks the way I do and to be sensitive to the needs of those from other cultures. In a clinic situation, cultural differences can affect the clinician’s ability to obtain accurate and reliable test results. I learned that sometimes to communicate, all you have to do is ask for clarification. Talking with a client’s family member may be one of the best strategies to enhance communication.” Megan Carey, a second-year master’s student at California State University, Fullerton, is the 2011–2012 NSSLHA president, as well as the 2010–2012 student representative to the California Speech-Language-Hearing Association. “I can use the skills I learned in the workshop not only in working with clients from different cultural backgrounds, but also to make me a more effective leader and clinician,” she said. “Through the workshop, we learned The Art of Mindful Inquiry, and immediately after the workshop I began using the skill, ‘What I heard you say was...’ These skills are beneficial for all of us, especially since we are in a field that trains others how to avoid communication breakdowns.” Author Notes Vicki R. Deal-Williams, MA, CCC-SLP, chief staff officer for multicultural affairs, can be reached at [email protected]. Melanie Johnson, membership programs manager, can be reached at [email protected]. Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Additional Resources FiguresSourcesRelatedDetailsCited ByPerspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups6:4 (778-782)20 Aug 2021Faculty of Color in Communication Sciences and Disorders: An Overdue ConversationAvinash Mishra, Giselle Núñez and Cara E. Tyson Volume 17Issue 3March 2012 Get Permissions Add to your Mendeley library History Published in print: Mar 1, 2012 Metrics Downloaded 122 times Topicsasha-topicsleader_do_tagleader-topicsasha-article-typesCopyright & Permissions© 2012 American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationLoading ...