By Alyssa Schulz, BS, and Emily Gruver, BS, BA, TSHA Graduate Student Representatives
The 67th annual Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA) Convention was held February 23-25, 2023, in Austin. Like many attendees, students traveled throughout the state of Texas to Austin to attend Convention. Some attended for the first time, while others eagerly had counted down the days since the 2022 Convention in Fort Worth. Throughout the weekend, students attended a variety of sessions, participated in Spirit Day (including the incredibly competitive Praxis Bowl), explored the exhibit hall, and networked with speech-language pathologists, audiologists, researchers, and professors. After reflecting on an eventful weekend, students were asked to describe their favorite parts of TSHA Convention.
TSHA Graduate Student Representative and second-year University of Texas at Dallas graduate student Alyssa Schulz said, “My favorite part was attending the Convention with some of my closest classmates. We all stayed together in a hotel room and after each day would talk about all the sessions we went to. Each of us have different interests, and each of us were able to explore those interests throughout the weekend.”
Second-year University of Texas at Dallas graduate student Emily Killough said, “I loved getting to hear from a variety of professionals, learning their tips and tricks to working with the adult medical population. I also really enjoyed being able to network with them and meet so many wonderful people at the TSHA medical committee meet-and-greet! This year’s TSHA Convention definitely set me up for success in preparation for my CFY.”
Second-year speech-language pathology students across Texas are preparing for comprehensive exams, graduation, the Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology, and Clinical Fellowship Years (CFYs). The TSHA Convention featured a variety of sessions for students preparing to transition from graduate school to practice licensed speech-language pathologists and audiologists. Being around other passionate speech-language pathologists and audiologists provided these second-year students with an up-close look into their future careers, leaving them ready and excited to take on new roles and responsibilities. The exhibit hall also provided these students with resources, freebies, and job connections, with some students even interviewing for jobs at Convention!
For first-year graduate students, the TSHA Convention offered a wealth of opportunities to learn and engage with professionals and to investigate various specialties, populations, and methodologies for future practice. Many first-year students are busy learning the foundational knowledge in classes, so attending TSHA Convention opened their eyes to a new world of practical possibilities and brought the textbook knowledge to life.
First-year University of Texas at Dallas student Drew Bodden said, “I enjoyed being able to attend lectures that were applicable with what I was learning in classes at UTD. I also really liked the medical SLP happy hour mixer!”
For first-year students like Drew, the TSHA Convention sparked new passions and opened doors to new opportunities. Undergraduate students also were invited to attend the TSHA Convention to meet with graduate school representatives at the University Meet and Greet, attend sessions, and network with other students and professionals.
For students across Texas, the TSHA Convention is three days of fun, networking, and learning. Speech-language pathology and audiology students from all backgrounds, experiences, and passions love gathering at the TSHA Convention each year to celebrate new ideas and partnerships.