by Abbigale Zepeda
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When navigating through undergraduate study, one thing students are sure to learn is that communication is key. For Senior Rebecca Jones, that is a more literal concept than one might think.
Jones is no stranger to the finer details of communication. After all, she will be graduating in Spring 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology.
When choosing what major to go into, Jones said that Speech-Language Pathology was practically a given.
“Speech-language pathology has always been a central part of my life,” said Jones. “My mom has been a speech-language pathologist for almost 20 years.”
It was this family connection that allowed Jones to spend some time in the field, earning nearly 200 volunteer hours at her mother’s preschool summer program for children who have moderate-to-severe disabilities. With so much hands-on field experience, Jones explained that choosing to major in speech-language pathology was a pretty easy decision, driven by her confidence in the faculty and the success rates of other SLP students from CSULB.
However, Jones revealed that her decision to join the CSULB Honors program was a bit more spontaneous. Introduced to the program through the Honors Instagram page, Jones recalls many fond memories about the program as she nears her graduation date.
“The most memorable honors class for me was my freshman-year linguistics course,” said Jones. “I learned so much about language and its construction, which was useful for me as a speech-language pathology student.”
Jones’ freshman year was full of new Honors experiences as it was also when she made the decision to join the Honors peer mentorship program, which connected her with another SLP major.
“Meeting my mentor was super helpful as a freshman - especially in COVID times,” Jones commented. “I got to ask questions that were more tailored to me as an SLP student and an Honors student.”
Those experiences connecting with people in the Honors program influence Jones’ advice to incoming students, who she says should try and connect with the community around them when possible.
“I would really recommend attending social events within the Honors program to meet new people,” said Jones. “Create [those] relationships that will last through your undergrad experience.”
Outside of Honors, Jones has been following her own advice throughout her time at CSULB. Becoming a member of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA), she explained, has been an extremely valuable and memorable extracurricular program experience.
But it’s not just social connections that Jones has been able to find during her time at CSULB in the Honors program. To her, the academic aspect of her college experience is just as important, and she has named the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) as one of the most memorable moments in her undergrad experience.
According to Jones, it was the first time she had ever involved herself in research, but it certainly wasn’t the last. Her interest in research projects grew during her time at CSULB, with the Honors thesis project being another example she lists as an invaluable part of her dedication to academic exploration.
In fact, the thesis project is the main focus of advice she gives to upcoming seniors in the Honors program.
“Trust that your thesis or thesis project will come together by the time you need it to,” Jones assured. “It can be super overwhelming at first, but if you manage your time and lean on your support systems, the whole process is so much more enjoyable and you get to learn a lot.”
As she moves towards graduation and everything that comes after, Jones said that her plans for the future include more research-focused work. Her next steps are moving towards a Doctor of Audiology. In the meantime, she hopes that her time as a graduate assistant will bring many more research opportunities connected to her field.
Still, even as she looks towards the future, Jones feels the nostalgia for CSULB already settling in.
“My experience at CSULB has been so positive, and I will miss our university so much after I graduate,” said Jones. “Enjoy your undergrad experience while you can, and time will fly by faster than you can imagine.”
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