UWG Speech Language Pathology Program

✨ Mentor era: activated ✨

Our first-semester SLP grad students officially started their summer long clinic mentorship with our second-year students this week 🫶

Because starting grad school hits different when you have someone walking beside you who was just in your shoes.

Here’s to new connections, lots of learning, and future clinicians supporting future clinicians 💙❤️

The 2026-2028 UWG SLP grad cohort has entered the chat 💃🕺🪩

Congratulations to the B.S.Ed. SLP Class of 2026! 🎓🖤

So proud of this group and all the hard work they’ve put in over the years. Excited to see what’s next for each of you.

Go Wolves! 🐺

Class of 2026, M.Ed. SLP 🎓

What began as a group of students became a cohort of clinicians, advocates, and future colleagues. From tough classes to comprehensive exams to MBSImP trainings, clinic, externships, and long nights together, this group worked hard for every moment of today.

Wherever they go next — schools, medical settings, private practice, and beyond — we know they will make a difference in the lives of others.

Congratulations, graduates. Go Wolves. 🖤🐺

PLEASE SHARE 📣 It’s that time of year again!
Pre registration for Sertoma Fantasy Sports & Communication Camp is open! Call or email UWG’s Comprehensive Community Clinic to get registered before spots fill up!

☎️678-839-6145

📧[email protected]

Scholar’s Day at UWG! 🐺📚🧠

So proud of our students and the work they’re doing.

Madison Brooks (SLP) presented her Honors thesis on SLPs’ experiences with Auditory Neuropathy Disorder under the mentorship of Dr. Aleah Brock.

Ja’Niyah Dunn (SLP) and Elizabeth Becerra-Turner (SPED) shared IGNITE—a social communication playgroup focused on caregiver coaching, developed in collaboration with Dr. Brandy Locchetta (SPED) and Dr. Aleah Brock (SLP).

Student-led scholarship with real clinical impact.

From grant funding to hands-on learning 👏

Congratulations to Mrs. Brittany Janowski for securing the technology grant that made this possible. Today, Samantha Kuetner from PatCom Medical traveled to Carrollton to lead a tutorial on our ✨NEW✨ portable Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) unit—expanding dysphagia training opportunities at UWG.

Real tools. Real training. Go West. ✌️

UWG SLP Grad Student Spotlight ✨

Congratulations to Valencia Valestin, recipient of the GSHA Student Success Graduate Scholarship and the GSHA Foundation Scholarship.

At GSHA 2026, she co-presented an AAC project on expanding communication access and led a student forum connecting programs across the state. She also recently completed the Georgia Mentor Leadership Academy.

Proud to see Valencia representing UWG SLP.

GSHA 2026 🤍

UWG SLP had a weekend. Students presenting, stepping into leadership roles, and connecting with SLPs across the state.

And faculty absolutely delivered—Dr. Ofoe, Mrs. Thompson, and Mrs. Gordon presented their work on a pediatric feeding screening program through a university preschool collaboration. The kind of work that truly makes a difference.

GO WEST 💃🕺

Graduate Student Spotlight: Casei Burkhalter ✨

Our graduate clinicians continue to gain valuable real-world experience through externship placements across the region. This week we are highlighting Casei, who is completing an externship at Atrium Health Floyd Outpatient Rehabilitation.

During her placement, Casei has worked with a diverse caseload while collaborating with an interdisciplinary team of physical and occupational therapists. Her clinical experiences have included supporting adults with aphasia, dysphagia, dysarthria, voice disorders, and cognitive-communication impairments, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. She has also worked with pediatric clients with communication delays.

Casei shared that the setting has allowed her to grow her clinical skills through both evaluation and treatment experiences. She has conducted assessments such as the CLQT and swallowing evaluations while implementing a variety of intervention approaches.

“In this setting I have primarily served adult patients with aphasia, dysphagia, dysarthria, voice disorders, and cognitive-communication impairments while working collaboratively on an interdisciplinary rehabilitation team,” she explained. “My treatment experience includes play-based therapy, melodic intonation therapy, oral motor exercises, and compensatory swallowing strategies.”

We are proud of the work Casei is doing and the clinical growth she is demonstrating as she prepares for the next stage of her career in speech-language pathology.