Region 10
Learn more about your Region 10 Regional Councilor and Council President Megan Carey:
Academic status: 2nd year Master's student
Major: Speech Language Pathology
Expected date of graduation: May 2012
University: California State University, Long Beach
Area of professional interest: Geriatrics, Traumatic Brain Injuries
I joined NSSLHA because: Like everyone else I adore this field and the people in it, but I also feel that I can effectively bring about enthusiasm and inspire leadership in the other NSSLHAs and other students. SLP Lisa O'Connor received an award at this year's California Speech-Language Hearing Association (CSHA) convention and she said that a great leader is like a great band leader. In order for the band to sound good and be popular, everyone in the band has to work together to find harmonies and play their notes well. The band leader is absolutely nothing without his band members. I completely agree with this and really feel that every student should benefit from NSSLHA even if he/she is not an executive officer.
I applied for a position on the NSSLHA Executive Council because: I want to help create some uniformity and guidance by mentoring NSSLHA presidents and writing a manual for how NSSLHA works. I just came back from my state's annual convention and there I was able to meet with some other NSSLHA presidents. One president in particular was telling me about situations that were arising at her school (which are against NSSLHA bylaws) and she wanted advice on how to handle the situation and also how to increase her membership. She took avid notes as I educated her about National NSSLHA and experiences I had learned from with my own chapter and how she could increase the membership in hers. While she tried to write down every word I was saying I realized that there needs to more collaboration and unity and perhaps even a little uniformity in the NSSLHA chapters.
My two year term on the council will be successful if: A sense of unity and purpose. There are so many great programs that other NSSLHA chapters partake in and could share with their neighboring chapters. For example, I came up with ten new programs for my NSSLHA, and one was called the Words of Wisdom panel. I would have a professional come to each NSSLHA meeting and educate students about the field. I found that this not only increased undergrad membership, but also graduate student membership and professor involvement. I want to be able to mentor other NSSLHA chapters and continue a legacy of excellence. I would also want to increase professional and student mentorship relationships.
My vision for my region is: I want there to be more collaboration between the states within the region. I was one of the representatives for the Region 10 quiz bowl at the past ASHA Convention and the only other members on my team were from my own NSSLHA chapter. It would have been so much more effective if there had been representatives from different states on this team. My vision is to personally reach, each region and offer workshops at each of their annual conventions where I can educate their chapters about NSSLHA, ASHA, leadership and about each other.