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Welcome to Digication
Scholars Conversations.
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I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll.
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In this episode, you'll hear part one of
my conversation with Sharron Huang, recent
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graduate of Stony Brook University, where
she received a B. A. in Linguistics, an
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M. A. in Teaching English to Speakers
of Other Languages, and an M. S.
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in Speech Language Pathology.
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More links and information about today's
conversation can be found on Digication's
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Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Full episodes of Digication Scholars
Conversations can be found on
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YouTube or your favorite podcast app.
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Welcome to Digication
Scholars Conversations.
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I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll, and
today I'm so excited to introduce
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Sharron Huang, who graduated from
Stony Brook University in May 2024.
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Welcome, Sharron.
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Thank you so much for having me.
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Thank you.
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Absolutely.
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Yes.
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So, we, uh, happened to stumble upon
Sharron's extraordinary work and
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experiences in Digication, and I just
had to reach out to have her join me
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on Digication Scholars Conversations
because what she has created really
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exemplifies a Digication Scholar.
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Um, she has created this incredible
representation of who she is, uh, the
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story behind her background, uh, all of
the work that she's done at Stony Brook
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University, and as a recent graduate,
also has things to share about life beyond
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Stony Brook too, that I'm sure she'll
have a chance to share with us today.
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Um, so Sharron, I really just wanted
to kind of kick off our conversation
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today with you talking a little bit
about, you know, how this interest
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in studying linguistics and speech
pathology came about for you, um, because
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I know in looking at your background,
you have a few different degrees.
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And we'd love to hear a little bit about
your, your journey and what has led you
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to become a speech language pathologist.
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Yeah, absolutely.
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So thank you so much for having me.
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Just a little bit of background on
me, like, I, I know, like, I'm from
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Brooklyn, New York, born and raised, so
I've always been surrounded by such a
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rich community of culture and language
that comes hand in hand with it.
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Um, growing up, like, I know, like, I
come from parents of immigrants and,
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like, I've a different mother tongue
than a lot of the other students in my
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community and being able to really be able
to share that and see that within my own
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students too, that's been super empowering
for me to be on the flip side of it
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and being able to teach these students.
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So I, I started off, I actually,
when I first entered college at Stony
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Brook University, I was a bio major.
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I was so headset on being pre med.
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Yeah.
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Like a lot of many other
students at Stony Brook.
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Um, I was a Biology major and I remember
taking, um, the prerequisite like freshman
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courses and I wasn't doing too hard.
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And like, I, I remember really
struggling, but also like struggling
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adapting to college as a whole,
being away from my family.
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Um, but I remember like really
enjoying linguistics and making my, my
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switch to that full time as my major.
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I continued with that and I know like
for me, I'm a very like type A person,
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like I wanted to make sure that I would
still be able to graduate within four
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years, even though I had changed my major.
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So that just, even though like after
I changed, I changed my major, I I
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put it into like full drive, like
trying to catch up on these classes
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and like still trying to make sure
that I graduated in four years.
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And I guess it worked well because
I actually ended up graduating
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early and getting accepted into
an accelerated master's program
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for five years, which I ended up
completing in four and a half years.
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And that was the master's for teaching
English to speakers of other languages,
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which was a really nice segue actually
from my, my bachelor's in linguistics.
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Thanks.
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Nice.
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Well, congratulations.
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I'm sure the accelerated program
involved a lot of long hours and,
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and hard work and to get that done
and an even shorter period of time.
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Um, so my, my hat is off to you.
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Thank you a lot of Tetris playing with
the different classes and schedule.
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Like I remember even as a freshman,
I had like a five year plan.
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Like, what do I have to take?
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Not only like this semester, like this
spring semester, but like, how can I
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plan it out so that I can know what
I'm going to be taking as a senior, as
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like, Even though I'm like a sophomore,
yeah, like I know what I'm going to be
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taking senior year, like down to a T in
order for all the puzzle pieces to fit
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in, in order for me to, to take all the
required classes and the prerequisites
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for each of those classes to stack up.
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So I remember like being definitely
like having a lot of stress that
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came with it, but now like the
fruits of the labor paying off.
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So I'm very thankful for that.
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Good.
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Glad to hear that.
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So, first you, you set off to get
your, uh, B. A. in linguistics, and
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then did you already know when you
started that, that you wanted to, at
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some point, go into teaching as well?
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Yeah, so that was definitely in the
back of my mind, especially during,
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uh, my pivot over into linguistics
from being a biology major.
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Uh, so my, my mom, she's
a huge role model of mine.
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Like, she is like the person I look up
to and she's actually an ENL teacher.
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So she is a teacher.
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Like I come on, I'm come from
a huge family of teachers.
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I think there are like four or five of us.
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And then, yeah, yeah.
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When you open it up to like family
friends, it's like all my mom's friends
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and everyone I've grown up with.
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So being able to grow up in that
school community has really shown me
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nothing but like the positive sides of
education and how powerful it can be
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and how it really builds a community.
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So having that, yeah, was really
definitely an example and model and how,
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how I guess it sparked the flame early on.
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But yeah, she, she's an ENL
teacher, so she We share the
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same master's degree title.
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Like I have my ENL, like
TESOL degree for my master's.
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Um, and she does as well.
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So it was definitely like nice, like
having someone to go to immediately,
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like to ask for help and like, I, I can
see like how much she loves her job.
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Like she.
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She genuinely has such
passion for what she does.
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Like this has been her
day one for everything.
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So it's been nice to like kind of
follow my mom's shoes a little bit.
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And I'm actually like where she
works is very close to home.
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So I, I went to that school as
an elementary school student.
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So being able to like visit all the time
and then now where I work, actually,
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I work only 15 minutes a walk away.
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So like, it's, it's actually
been very funny because we.
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Uh, up until recently, we actually shared
a set of, uh, siblings, so she had one
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brother and I had another brother in my
school, so it's just like, wow, like,
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we're that close and like, we share the,
the school community that we are actually
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like sharing a pair of siblings right now.
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Oh my gosh, I can just imagine as a
mom, she must just be glowing with so
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much pride at what you're doing and
to have that connection professionally
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now too, that's so wonderful.
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I love that.
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It's endless, shared
conversations to talk about too.
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So, if you ever thought about
like, Alright, like, when is the,
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how's like the salary schedule?
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How do I enroll in my retirement benefits?
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How do I, like, All those little things!
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Like, oh, like, have you, have you
seen the changes to curriculum?
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Like, little things like that.
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It's definitely, like, very nice to
have that person so close to home
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and be able to talk to her about it.
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Yeah, I bet.
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And can you share a little bit about
maybe what some of those first days when
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you started teaching were like and maybe
reflect a little bit on that experience?
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And I don't know if you remember any
questions or thoughts that came up that
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you needed to immediately kind of go to
your mom to because of her experience.
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Um, cause you mentioned that you
were doing some, uh, Teaching in that
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little gap between one degree and the
next so I'd love to hear a little bit
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about that Oh, I'm happy to share.
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That's so funny because I'm glad I
mentioned that my mom like where she
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works So after I'd graduated early
from like the five year program
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I it was mid year since I did in
three and a half of four and a half.
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So I couldn't start a
master's program mid year.
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And so I was like, all right, like,
how, how do I want to play this?
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Do I want to stay on campus?
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And just like.
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Continue living on campus and not
attend classes or do I move back home?
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So what I ended up doing is I moved
back home and I took a maternity leave
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substitute position at my mom's school.
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So one of her, one of her, yeah,
not even right down the hall.
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We shared a classroom.
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She served, she was the ENL
teacher for my class there.
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So a family friend, this is how close
knit her school community is, where
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like everyone has seen me grow up.
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Like the fact that like the, her
coworkers have all seen me like while
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I was an elementary school student
there, like on their own student.
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And now to see like me as a
teacher and like be full circle.
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But yeah, like I, I was
a substitute teacher.
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Oh, maternity substitute
substitute teacher.
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So I was there for six
year, uh, six months.
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I was there for six months and.
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I was able to take over
a second grade class.
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Um, they were absolutely amazing.
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They were genuinely such a
great class to start off with.
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And like, not to say that there weren't
any hiccups or anything, but I think
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that was such a great learning class
because the classroom teacher had
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already set up so many great expectations
and model behavior where I was.
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Basically handed like a golden plate
where everything was set for me.
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Um, but yeah, from there, like my,
it was my mom who was really pushing
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it and serving these kids cause
she was the ENL provider there.
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Um, and so there were, there would be
a period a day or a couple of periods
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a week where, We would be co-teaching
together in the same classroom.
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Like, that's just so
crazy to think about it.
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But I remember like, how, how do
I lesson plan for all these kids?
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Cause I, I had my, my ENL degree where
I was used to serving smaller groups for
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my, my student teaching or my externship
placements, where it would be just
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strictly ENL, like I'm differentiating
material and instruction for preexisting
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curriculum or preexisting lesson.
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That's been constructed
by the classroom teacher.
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But here I was kind of flip flops
and I was a classroom teacher and I
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hadn't had, um, as much experience.
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Where I was like creating
my own lesson plans.
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I was making slides.
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I was learning a
completely new curriculum.
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And I remember really asking her like,
well, how, like, how do I navigate
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all these different curriculums?
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There's a different curriculum for math.
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There's a different
curriculum for reading.
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There's a different curriculum
for science and social studies.
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Like, how do I stay on top of everything?
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Um, while also like having a balance,
because like at the end of the day,
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like I, I was a substitute teacher,
you know, like I was, you know,
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How do I find the time to do this?
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While also at that time
applying for graduate school.
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Um, so that was definitely
like, all right, like let's,
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you bring your work laptop home,
I'll bring my work laptop home.
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Like, I'll show you how to navigate
around like different websites, which I
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thought was pretty funny because usually
I'm the one who's going for how to use
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technology and all of a sudden she's
schooling me and like, all right, like
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choose this tab, go here to this link.
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She's like flying through.
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I'm like, slow down.
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So it was definitely interesting
to be on the other side.
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Oh, I love that.
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Oh, so you mentioned you grew up not too
far away from Stony Brook University, but
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how did you make your decision that that
that was going to be the school to attend?
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And it must have been a good choice for
you to stay for all of those degrees.
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I couldn't get enough of it, honestly.
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00:12:41,685
I really, I truly do love Stony Brook.
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I, and you'll, you'll hear
this time and time again.
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00:12:47,595
Like I, I genuinely did
enjoy my time there.
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00:12:48,485
I love Stony Brook.
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00:12:53,935
Um, I'm incredibly appreciative for all
these opportunities that they've given me.
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00:12:57,845
Not only in terms of like
academic, but also like community.
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00:13:01,165
Like, um, different like
leadership positions that I've had.
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Like they've truly given me so much.
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00:13:06,875
And I, I do genuinely think that college
is absolutely what you make of, out of it.
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00:13:10,055
And that's a life lesson for
how much, like, life, like, you,
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life is what you make out of it.
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00:13:15,225
You know, the opportunities you take,
the risks you take, the people you meet,
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00:13:16,585
and the connections you make, right?
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00:13:22,704
So for me, like, I grew up in Brooklyn,
um, I'm extremely close to my family, I've
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00:13:27,575
got quite a large family, and then another
outer circle of family friends, uh, so
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00:13:32,575
I knew I didn't want to stray too far,
but I did want to go away for college.
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00:13:33,709
So Stony Brook, Brooklyn.
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00:13:38,650
on Long Island definitely gave me a good
mix of both where I was far enough to
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00:13:45,000
have to and be able to dorm, um, but also
just a two hour lure ride away, like a
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00:13:49,030
Long Island railroad ride away because
at the time I wasn't driving either.
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So, um, Being able to commute back
home for long weekends and all the
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breaks was very convenient while also
having a good amount of like some of
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00:14:02,565
my friends, like my friends from home,
also choosing that school because of the
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00:14:05,304
same reasons of being super commutable.
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00:14:09,315
And then I have family out on Long
Island as well so that was a good.
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00:14:10,465
Oh nice.
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00:14:13,755
Reassuring thing about like oh like
if something did happen and it was
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00:14:17,694
like too late to catch the last
train like that they'd only be an
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00:14:20,054
hour train of an hour car ride away.
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00:14:20,970
Yeah.
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00:14:23,670
And it's such a beautiful area too.
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00:14:24,860
Yeah, absolutely.
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00:14:27,740
And then at that time I
was, I was a Bio major.
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00:14:33,839
So it was, I mean, they've got their
own hospital there and they're very well
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00:14:37,189
known for their incredible healthcare
system and their major and how well
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00:14:39,349
like they do with innovation tech.
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00:14:41,060
So yeah, definitely.
249
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00:14:45,420
But big, big Seawolf,
big Sony Brook fan here.
250
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00:14:51,505
And you won some awards while
you were a student there?
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00:14:51,595
Yes.
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00:14:53,420
Quite a few actually.
253
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00:14:53,700
Thank you.
254
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00:14:53,940
Thank you.
255
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00:14:54,235
Yeah.
256
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00:14:59,095
Would you, would you mind sharing
what some of those awards were
257
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00:15:00,985
and, and what they entailed?
258
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00:15:02,455
Yeah, I'm happy to.
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00:15:04,555
So while I was there, um.
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00:15:09,030
I want to, I think one of the biggest
ones for me, like I was most wowed about,
261
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00:15:13,450
um, is the SUNY Success Story Award.
262
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00:15:15,359
That was definitely a
really big one for me.
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00:15:20,369
This was a nomination from
Stony Brook to the SUNY system.
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00:15:26,350
Um, and I guess like that was just like
an umbrella of like all the different
265
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00:15:30,770
leadership roles that I've undertaken,
which I'm incredibly grateful for.
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00:15:33,150
And that was back in 2022.
267
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00:15:38,810
As a part of that as well, they also
invited me in for their marketing
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00:15:44,089
campaign, um, to promote SUNYs
and the SUNY system and I'm a huge
269
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00:15:49,520
proponer of the SUNY system because I
think it really allows like students
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00:15:53,965
to get affordable, Um, access to
higher education, like anything.
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00:15:57,225
And I think that that's so
incredibly important because
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college can be expensive.
273
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College isn't necessarily an
option for everyone financially.
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00:16:05,255
And so, especially coming
from New York City, like.
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00:16:09,365
It's not a guarantee for everyone
to go to college, unfortunately.
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00:16:12,145
So, um, it just makes it more accessible.
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00:16:15,894
And I, I really do appreciate everything
that SUNY and Stony Brook has given me.
278
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00:16:20,415
Um, so that was definitely a
very, um, important one for me.
279
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00:16:24,594
I, I know for that marketing campaign,
especially too, like, uh, I've
280
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00:16:29,274
heard, I haven't seen it myself,
but I've heard that I was on, um,
281
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00:16:32,335
a couple of the MTA train ads.
282
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00:16:37,450
Um, on like the platform, in the trains,
like, I wish I caught it, like, I
283
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00:16:38,950
take the train almost every day now.
284
00:16:40,270 -->
00:16:41,959
Are you telling me I
could be on the F train?
285
00:16:44,500 -->
00:16:48,859
Yeah, like, crazy to think that like
my face is on, you know, some, some
286
00:16:48,859 -->
00:16:50,509
marketing material in New York City.
287
00:16:50,509 -->
00:16:55,950
And like, I feel like that was, like,
SUNY is so such a big, widespread
288
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00:16:57,774
thing to, for it to be like, popular.
289
00:16:58,555 -->
00:17:01,945
So close to home really
is impactful for me.
290
00:17:02,535 -->
00:17:06,894
And then in addition to that, um,
so just to give a little background
291
00:17:06,894 -->
00:17:10,064
on a lot of these awards, some
leadership positions that I've, I've
292
00:17:10,064 -->
00:17:14,385
had the pleasure of taking and the
honor to really be able to, to share.
293
00:17:14,705 -->
00:17:20,505
Um, I was a chapter president for
our undergraduate NSSLHA, which
294
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00:17:23,745
is our National Student Speech
and Language Hearing Association.
295
00:17:23,745 -->
00:17:28,715
That's kind of like our pre speech track
that I was in since sophomore year.
296
00:17:28,715 -->
00:17:33,035
Like I was very involved immediately,
like knew I wanted to not only change
297
00:17:33,035 -->
00:17:37,085
my major, but like go all in on this,
like this is what I wanted to do.
298
00:17:37,665 -->
00:17:42,135
And then I was a Resident Assistant (RA),
so not only did I dorm, I enjoyed dorming
299
00:17:42,135 -->
00:17:44,835
so, so much and like I wanted it to be.
300
00:17:45,110 -->
00:17:51,060
encouraged and like, I really wanted
to, to have everyone welcomed on
301
00:17:51,060 -->
00:17:54,499
campus so that they enjoy their
college experience away from home.
302
00:17:54,770 -->
00:17:57,770
Especially I know like, so, Stony Brook
has so many students from this city
303
00:17:57,780 -->
00:18:01,149
who have never really been far away
from home or like, Long Island and the
304
00:18:01,150 -->
00:18:05,480
suburbs are so different from, from
the urban area that like, I wanted
305
00:18:05,480 -->
00:18:09,600
them to feel welcomed and like have
the most of their college experience.
306
00:18:09,600 -->
00:18:10,600
So I was an RA there.
307
00:18:10,600 -->
00:18:16,230
I would say that was definitely the
most, I'm trying to find a word for
308
00:18:16,230 -->
00:18:19,380
like the Just the most impactful for me.
309
00:18:19,650 -->
00:18:25,070
Like I know like the campus residents
community and like the department there,
310
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00:18:29,630
like not only like gave, there's a
saying that like, not only did they give
311
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00:18:31,760
give me housing, they gave me a home.
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00:18:32,630 -->
00:18:37,500
Mm. They the people that I've met,
the opportunities, it's further open.
313
00:18:38,040 -->
00:18:38,275
Yeah.
314
00:18:38,480 -->
00:18:41,360
Like being able to have
a home away from home is.
315
00:18:41,905 -->
00:18:43,835
Yeah, something you can't put words to.
316
00:18:44,415 -->
00:18:49,545
So I, and I was in that position for, for
six years, six out of the seven years,
317
00:18:49,545 -->
00:18:50,665
longer than most people are in college.
318
00:18:50,665 -->
00:18:51,885
Oh, wow.
319
00:18:51,895 -->
00:18:54,164
Yes, so it really does speak to.
320
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00:18:59,645
So I've been to different, different
areas that I was an RA and bounced around.
321
00:19:00,080 -->
00:19:07,580
Um, love my staff every year, and then
in my graduate year, um, I was one of
322
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00:19:12,239
the senators for the graduate student
organization, so I know the undergraduates
323
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00:19:13,929
get a lot of funding, get a lot of hype.
324
00:19:14,020 -->
00:19:17,799
Of course, like all these freshmen are
coming in very excited to go to college,
325
00:19:18,000 -->
00:19:21,670
um, and I, I'm, I fear that a lot of
the graduate students are forgotten
326
00:19:21,670 -->
00:19:25,570
about, especially like our international
graduate students who are coming in to
327
00:19:25,570 -->
00:19:27,400
this country for the very first time.
328
00:19:27,940 -->
00:19:32,470
But there might not be as many like
open doors and like welcome invitations
329
00:19:32,470 -->
00:19:37,109
to events as many as like the first
year students have because a lot
330
00:19:37,109 -->
00:19:40,999
of the graduate students who aren't
international have been here and know
331
00:19:40,999 -->
00:19:42,739
the drill and how I know how it works.
332
00:19:42,999 -->
00:19:47,909
So it's it was really great being able
to be on a senator and advocate for.
333
00:19:48,169 -->
00:19:51,819
Not only the graduate students,
but also the ADA working group
334
00:19:51,819 -->
00:19:53,249
there and their disability group.
335
00:19:53,849 -->
00:19:57,949
Yeah, yeah, so I just wanted to
give a little background on that.
336
00:19:58,139 -->
00:20:02,559
So I, I, from I, what I believe,
um, all those different leadership
337
00:20:02,559 -->
00:20:08,554
positions then gave me, um, the
Gerald L. Stein Organizational
338
00:20:08,554 -->
00:20:10,734
Leadership for Student Life Award.
339
00:20:11,084 -->
00:20:16,084
Uh, that one, that one did like feel,
that one was back in 2022 to 2023.
340
00:20:16,924 -->
00:20:23,584
So at the end of 2023, I got that award
and I remember being Like, it felt
341
00:20:23,594 -->
00:20:27,374
like such a, an appreciation and an
acknowledgement for all the work that
342
00:20:27,374 -->
00:20:33,328
I've done with the community and like,
be able to be like an upperclassman and
343
00:20:33,328 -->
00:20:37,534
be coming towards the end of my academic
journey there and like, it was such
344
00:20:37,534 -->
00:20:40,014
a nice, like, goodbye to the school.
345
00:20:40,340 -->
00:20:45,559
And then I was also able to get
the Henry and Marcia Laffer Student
346
00:20:45,559 -->
00:20:47,969
Scholarship Award for my graduate program.
347
00:20:48,249 -->
00:20:49,909
Um, that was fantastic.
348
00:20:49,909 -->
00:20:54,539
As, like, as I said before, like,
I, I really believe in affordable
349
00:20:54,539 -->
00:20:56,149
access to higher education.
350
00:20:56,149 -->
00:20:58,494
So, the student scholarship
really, really helped me.
351
00:20:58,714 -->
00:20:59,634
Helps along way.
352
00:21:01,154 -->
00:21:01,764
Absolutely.
353
00:21:01,774 -->
00:21:05,504
And then through a lot of these
trainings and RA training and
354
00:21:05,504 -->
00:21:09,434
student involvement, we want to make
sure that our students are, like,
355
00:21:09,434 -->
00:21:11,264
have accessible resources to them.
356
00:21:11,504 -->
00:21:14,814
And that includes, like, Red Watch
Band training, Green Dot training.
357
00:21:15,134 -->
00:21:20,634
Um, uh, so through all these trainings,
I was also able to get the Upstander
358
00:21:20,654 -->
00:21:24,734
Award for Prevention and Outreach,
making sure that these students are
359
00:21:24,744 -->
00:21:28,044
not only equipped for themselves, but
also equipped to help others, too.
360
00:21:28,714 -->
00:21:29,304
Mm hmm.
361
00:21:29,939 -->
00:21:30,759
Absolutely.
362
00:21:30,769 -->
00:21:32,119
You know, a lot to summarize.
363
00:21:32,119 -->
00:21:35,469
I spent a long time at Stony Brook
to put it all together, it's just
364
00:21:35,479 -->
00:21:38,789
like, oh my goodness, let me speed
run it and give you the TLDR.
365
00:21:39,529 -->
00:21:44,339
Well, and I think that's one of the
things that really, you know, drew us
366
00:21:44,349 -->
00:21:49,409
to want to have this opportunity to
really showcase you because you did
367
00:21:49,409 -->
00:21:56,149
such an extraordinary job of presenting,
you know, the kind of the breadth and
368
00:21:56,159 -->
00:21:59,569
depth of your experience as a student.
369
00:22:00,394 -->
00:22:05,684
And, you know, you were there
for a number of years and had so
370
00:22:05,684 -->
00:22:11,824
many incredible opportunities to,
you know, develop as a person and
371
00:22:11,824 -->
00:22:20,664
grow and, um, you know, shape your
trajectory and incredible achievements.
372
00:22:20,764 -->
00:22:21,084
Thank you.
373
00:22:21,094 -->
00:22:23,724
Really at each step of the way.
374
00:22:23,744 -->
00:22:31,599
And you've done a beautiful job of Sharing
that so that when people come and look
375
00:22:31,599 -->
00:22:37,349
at the, you know, kind of compilation of
work and experiences that you've shared
376
00:22:37,349 -->
00:22:42,229
in Digication, even though you do have,
you know, many layers to what you've
377
00:22:42,229 -->
00:22:47,214
done and different experiences, you've
made it really easy and inviting for
378
00:22:47,214 -->
00:22:51,274
viewers to come in and get to know you.
379
00:22:51,594 -->
00:22:56,924
And, you know, each of these different
kinds of experiences that you've had,
380
00:22:57,054 -->
00:23:01,874
you know, on the pages that you've
created, you have these wonderful
381
00:23:02,614 -->
00:23:09,334
written reflections that pair with those
experiences or examples of work that
382
00:23:09,334 -->
00:23:11,874
you've done or clinical experiences.
383
00:23:11,874 -->
00:23:18,474
So People really get the opportunity
to learn more deeply how, you know,
384
00:23:18,504 -->
00:23:24,414
how each of those experiences impacted
you and different ways that it kind
385
00:23:24,414 -->
00:23:29,499
of, you know, Let you grow and kind of
become the person that you are today.
386
00:23:29,509 -->
00:23:34,249
And it's just such a beautiful
example that we're excited to share.
387
00:23:34,249 -->
00:23:38,849
We'll include a link to it in the,
um, show notes for our podcast so that
388
00:23:38,849 -->
00:23:44,459
people can go and visit it and get
inspired and creating, um, their own.
389
00:23:44,579 -->
00:23:48,694
And, um, It was one of the ways that
I, you know, had the opportunity
390
00:23:48,694 -->
00:23:52,284
to learn about some of these
many awards that you receive.
391
00:23:52,944 -->
00:23:58,964
And, um, you know, sometimes when
we're working with students, sometimes
392
00:23:58,964 -->
00:24:07,619
they may struggle with, um, kind of
seeing the value of the different
393
00:24:07,619 -->
00:24:09,379
experiences that they're having.
394
00:24:09,379 -->
00:24:15,889
Some students, uh, especially maybe
as undergraduates or, um, new to
395
00:24:15,889 -->
00:24:23,159
the whole college experience may not
recognize so easily, uh, the value that
396
00:24:23,169 -->
00:24:25,239
each of their experience is having.
397
00:24:25,239 -->
00:24:29,909
Sometimes they kind of see, you
know, each kind of, um, you know,
398
00:24:29,929 -->
00:24:33,549
course that they're taking in college
is kind of, you know, checking
399
00:24:33,549 -->
00:24:35,269
off and getting to the next thing.
400
00:24:35,269 -->
00:24:39,609
And you know, the real life is
going to happen after graduation
401
00:24:39,609 -->
00:24:43,909
and not taking note that there's
all of this incredible growth and
402
00:24:43,909 -->
00:24:46,639
learning that's happening each day.
403
00:24:46,709 -->
00:24:52,204
And having this space where they can
kind of showcase that and reflect
404
00:24:52,204 -->
00:24:54,444
on those things can be so valuable.
405
00:24:54,854 -->
00:25:00,144
And I was curious, you know, when you
were at Stony Brook, at what stage did
406
00:25:00,144 -->
00:25:07,864
you start kind of creating this, um,
Kind of curated experience and kind
407
00:25:07,864 -->
00:25:12,024
of personal branding describing who
you are and all of these skills and
408
00:25:12,464 -->
00:25:16,644
were there certain professors that you
encouraged you to do that or was it
409
00:25:16,654 -->
00:25:18,614
something that you picked up on your own?
410
00:25:18,634 -->
00:25:19,854
I would love to hear about it.
411
00:25:20,209 -->
00:25:20,989
Yeah, absolutely.
412
00:25:20,989 -->
00:25:25,189
I'm so glad that you mentioned the
like first year students because I
413
00:25:25,189 -->
00:25:32,149
actually remember back in my first
year I I was also assigned assigned
414
00:25:32,149 -->
00:25:36,549
as like an assignment to do a
Digication and I promise you it does
415
00:25:36,559 -->
00:25:47,444
not look as good as this No weird
Yes, like I I'm sure It's somewhere.
416
00:25:47,454 -->
00:25:50,254
It definitely still exists
somewhere, but it definitely does
417
00:25:50,254 -->
00:25:52,644
not look nearly as good as this.
418
00:25:52,664 -->
00:25:55,934
It was definitely like a, you check
a box, you throw a picture in the
419
00:25:55,934 -->
00:25:59,354
background, make it look like semi nice.
420
00:25:59,724 -->
00:26:04,334
But I definitely did not know how many
options there could possibly be with this.
421
00:26:04,554 -->
00:26:10,504
However, I, I started this,
um, I believe in 2023.
422
00:26:10,944 -->
00:26:16,964
2023. Um, at the very beginning of 2023.
423
00:26:17,384 -->
00:26:21,694
Uh, so I, I had been working on this
for over a year and a half, maybe,
424
00:26:21,874 -->
00:26:23,334
yeah, like over a year and a half.
425
00:26:24,394 -->
00:26:30,344
And this was an assignment,
um, from my Clinical Professor.
426
00:26:30,724 -->
00:26:37,334
Uh, she actually had us, this is like our,
she had us create this because it was.
427
00:26:37,884 -->
00:26:43,364
Our portfolio to send out to people
who are hiring, who are hiring or
428
00:26:43,364 -->
00:26:48,034
interviewing us for post graduation.
429
00:26:48,404 -->
00:26:48,964
Okay.
430
00:26:48,994 -->
00:26:49,364
So.
431
00:26:49,474 -->
00:26:50,864
What course was this?
432
00:26:51,104 -->
00:26:55,104
Um, there were a couple different
courses that she listed.
433
00:26:55,114 -->
00:26:58,094
So it's the clinical
one, two, three, four.
434
00:26:58,094 -->
00:27:04,560
I'm trying to, I'm trying to remember,
I can actually pull it up, HHS 582.
435
00:27:05,324 -->
00:27:10,609
So there are a handful of Clinicals that
we have to go through, um, there are four
436
00:27:10,619 -->
00:27:18,619
Clinicals, and I believe it's like HHS
581, 582, 583, 584, and these are all
437
00:27:18,649 -->
00:27:24,854
attached to the Speech Language Pathology
Program at Stony Brook, um, and, um,
438
00:27:25,094 -->
00:27:29,684
These are in person classes, but they're
also a mix of what we do at externship.
439
00:27:29,694 -->
00:27:34,524
How can we apply these skills and talk
about our externships and how they'll
440
00:27:34,544 -->
00:27:39,004
compare to what our clinical fellowship
is going to look like post graduation.
441
00:27:39,014 -->
00:27:43,004
How after clinical fellowship
experience, how that's going to carry
442
00:27:43,004 -->
00:27:49,284
over and look like in our, like our
CCCs, like our actual position and job
443
00:27:49,284 -->
00:27:51,734
as full time, um, service providers.
444
00:27:52,584 -->
00:27:58,004
So that was really nice to be able to give
me like, okay, like, this is not only for
445
00:27:58,004 -->
00:28:02,154
an assignment, but like, this is what's
going to help me get a job in the future.
446
00:28:02,204 -->
00:28:08,114
You know, like I, this is how I'm going
to sell and market and like present myself
447
00:28:08,114 -->
00:28:14,539
to a future employer to, to give them a
little, bit about me that's beyond just
448
00:28:14,539 -->
00:28:16,299
like three bullet points on a resume.
449
00:28:16,519 -->
00:28:17,479
Right, right.
450
00:28:17,529 -->
00:28:23,299
Like how can I make myself stand out
from a thousand other applicants?
451
00:28:23,299 -->
00:28:27,969
And I, for me, like I knew that
I was coming back to the New York
452
00:28:27,969 -->
00:28:29,159
City Department of Education.
453
00:28:29,159 -->
00:28:32,429
Like that's always where I
knew I wanted to go, especially
454
00:28:32,429 -->
00:28:33,949
because I'm from Brooklyn.
455
00:28:34,129 -->
00:28:36,039
I have that school experience.
456
00:28:36,039 -->
00:28:37,299
I love working with kids.
457
00:28:37,639 -->
00:28:38,109
Um.
458
00:28:38,624 -->
00:28:42,044
And I know that like, this
is where my mom worked.
459
00:28:42,044 -->
00:28:46,904
Like I knew that it was a great union
to be in a great, a salary schedule to
460
00:28:46,904 -->
00:28:49,274
follow, great school schedule to follow.
461
00:28:49,604 -->
00:28:53,314
And then from my previous subbing
experience too, like I, I knew I
462
00:28:53,314 -->
00:28:57,874
wanted to end up in the DOE, however,
the do e is extremely competitive
463
00:28:57,904 -->
00:29:02,104
to get into because everyone else
also wants to get into the DOE.
464
00:29:02,554 -->
00:29:07,434
So I knew that I, if I wanted to get
the position, I had to stand out and.
465
00:29:08,229 -->
00:29:10,869
I thought to myself, like, well, I
had already been to the career fair,
466
00:29:10,869 -->
00:29:12,499
like, I have a pretty strong resume.
467
00:29:12,729 -->
00:29:17,789
What else can I do to help me not
only do well in the interview, but how
468
00:29:17,789 -->
00:29:19,279
do I even land myself an interview?
469
00:29:19,509 -->
00:29:24,189
How do I get my resume
to their eyes, you know?
470
00:29:24,929 -->
00:29:29,519
So I remember, um, cold,
cold emailing, admittedly.
471
00:29:29,619 -->
00:29:33,924
Um, that's some advice I'd gotten from
other um, Speech Therapists that had
472
00:29:33,924 -->
00:29:39,524
already gotten into the DOE like that,
they got in through cold emailing and like
473
00:29:39,524 -->
00:29:44,324
had going into the database and like this
excel sheet of like two hundred something
474
00:29:44,490 -->
00:29:51,034
Speech Re... ... And Speech Revisors and
you write in a paragraph about yourself,
475
00:29:51,064 -->
00:29:53,914
who you are, and attach your resume.
476
00:29:54,670 -->
00:29:57,920
But a lot of people, like,
might still have, like, paper
477
00:29:57,950 -->
00:29:59,880
dedu... paper portfolios.
478
00:30:00,110 -->
00:30:02,140
Some might not have
shared their portfolios.
479
00:30:02,150 -->
00:30:05,369
Some might not have felt confident
about their portfolio enough to share.
480
00:30:05,939 -->
00:30:13,709
Um, but I remember very proudly
attaching my link, um, to that,
481
00:30:14,120 -->
00:30:15,869
that mini paragraph about myself.
482
00:30:15,869 -->
00:30:18,679
And I like to think that, like, this
is something that they would look at.
483
00:30:19,089 -->
00:30:23,100
I know that a lot of times, like,
they'll briefly skim through Um, your
484
00:30:23,100 -->
00:30:27,210
resume, but if they have another link
and have something else that's eye
485
00:30:27,230 -->
00:30:30,510
catching to look at, um, why not?
486
00:30:30,520 -->
00:30:33,270
Or have something memorable
if they just click that link.
487
00:30:34,285 -->
00:30:38,185
So I wanted it to be, um, a
strong representation of myself.
488
00:30:38,185 -->
00:30:42,665
Like, it's not only very organized, but
I've got a lot of leadership experience.
489
00:30:42,665 -->
00:30:43,915
I want to show it off, you know.
490
00:30:43,915 -->
00:30:45,785
I have a lot of extracurricular essay.
491
00:30:46,165 -->
00:30:51,265
I want to show that I'm not only great
at my externships and my academics,
492
00:30:51,265 -->
00:30:52,084
but I'm a well rounded person.
493
00:30:52,175 -->
00:30:56,665
Well rounded candidate for the position
that I've had a lot of experience to.
494
00:30:58,065 -->
00:31:02,505
Here's a preview of what's coming up
next in part two of my conversation
495
00:31:02,525 -->
00:31:06,334
with Sharron Huang, recent
graduate of Stony Brook University.
496
00:31:06,664 -->
00:31:11,474
Our success is their success and that I
think is also why I chose to come back
497
00:31:11,484 -->
00:31:15,325
to Stony Brook because I personally had
Dr. Fabus who's the head of the program.
498
00:31:15,365 -->
00:31:20,535
I had taken her classes as a
pre speech track student in
499
00:31:20,535 -->
00:31:22,065
the summers and in the winters.
500
00:31:22,710 -->
00:31:26,200
So being able to like have that
personal experience with her and I
501
00:31:26,200 -->
00:31:30,790
know how much she's invested into the
program and invested in our success.
502
00:31:31,009 -->
00:31:34,610
I, I knew she would be happy to
write a letter of recommendation,
503
00:31:34,610 -->
00:31:38,400
especially with how, how involved
I was with the program and how she
504
00:31:38,520 -->
00:31:40,359
really would love us to see us succeed.
