May 2021 graduate spotlights: graduate students
07 May 2021
Seven students from SECD's graduate programs in audiology, special education and speech-language pathology – Cassidy Becklun, Mackenzie MacDonald, McKenzie Rosdail Kaus, Manami Shah, Kate Sindt, Kim Vaske-Huff and Emma Wilken – share Q-&-As ahead of the commencement ceremony May 7, 2021.
Cassidy Becklun
Plattsmouth, Nebraska | Clinical Doctorate in Audiology
What was the biggest factor in your decision to attend Nebraska for your Au.D. program?
The biggest factor in my decision was the professors. As an undergraduate student at UNL, I was able to get to know many of the audiology faculty and professors and see firsthand how wonderful the program is. I was so happy to be able to continue my graduate studies at the school that I loved!
What made you interested in a career in Audiology?
I began undergrad with my mind set on a future career in speech pathology. As part of this program, we take an Intro to Audiology course. During that course, I fell in love with the field of audiology. Hearing and balance disorders were fascinating to me, and I couldn't wait to learn more about audiology.
How has the pandemic helped you think differently about how you will provide audiology services in the future?
The pandemic has given us the opportunity to use telehealth to provide hearing aid services safely and effectively, without patients ever needing to leave their homes. As telehealth becomes more common and widely available in the future, we will be able to reach more patients than ever before.
What did you enjoy most about Nebraska’s Au.D. program?
I was fortunate to have a wide variety of clinical experiences during my Au.D. program. I loved being able to learn from audiologists at private practices, ENT clinics, and large medical centers such as Children's Hospital and Nebraska Medicine. Gaining hands-on experience in real-life settings was an incredible way to learn and develop my own skills as a clinician.
What’s next?
I have accepted a full-time audiology position in Omaha, Nebraska, where I will be able to use the knowledge that I have gained over my past eight years at UNL to help individuals with hearing and balance disorders.
Mackenzie MacDonald
Lakeville, Minnesota | Master of Education in Special Education: Early Childhood Special Education | Master of Science in Early Childhood Education/Child Development
What was the biggest factor in your decision to attend Nebraska for your master's program?
After completing my undergrad degree in secondary education, I realized my passion was geared more toward younger students. I originally started my graduate career in CYAF, studying Early Childhood Education and Child Development. I then realized I was extremely interested in teaching young students with disabilities, and UNL also offers a unique degree in Special Education: Early Childhood, and I began working on a dual master's degree. I will graduate with both master's in May.
What made you interested in a career in Special Education?
When I first began teaching preschool, I was drawn to understand the function behind students’ challenging behaviors. I loved working with special education teachers to help students with disabilities, and I loved brainstorming interventions to help all children succeed in the classroom. I then realized that is what I would like to teach.
How has the pandemic helped you think differently about how you will provide special education services to students?
The pandemic has proven how resilient both students and families are and have proven how crucial the family-school collaboration is.
What did you enjoy most about your master's program?
As a graduate student enrolled in two programs, I loved how the CYAF and SECD departments collaborated with each other to allow me to have the best of both worlds. I was able to enroll in a coaching cohort, and while it was through CYAF, they allowed me to tailor my coaching more toward teachers and families with a child with disabilities.
What’s next?
I have accepted a teaching position with Lincoln Public Schools, and I will be teaching Special Education in a preschool classroom. I will also continue coaching swimming at Lincoln Northeast.
McKenzie Rosdail Kaus
Sidney, Nebraska | Clinical Doctorate in Audiology
What was the biggest factor in your decision to attend Nebraska for your Au.D. program?
My husband and I were both accepted into our respective graduate programs at UNL and knew that both departments had excellent faculty who were invested in making our education top-notch and affordable.
What made you interested in a career in Audiology?
I considered a few majors prior to landing in audiology, but knew I wanted a career working with people. I was fortunate to have some excellent job shadowing opportunities and a passionate Intro to Audiology professor (Dr. Stacie Ray) who showed me all that audiology had to offer.
How has the pandemic helped you think differently about how you will provide audiology services in the future?
The importance of having access to communication with loved ones was emphasized as so many were unable to gather face-to-face with family and friends for many long months and some faced extra difficulties communicating due to the use of facemasks and other barriers. Working with patients facing these struggles on a daily basis throughout the pandemic forced me to find my "audiology voice" and develop other skills to provide services effectively.
What did you enjoy most about Nebraska's Au.D. program?
I loved my placement in the UNL balance clinic and my vestibular coursework.
What’s next?
I'll be working full-time as a clinical audiologist for Hearing Doctors of Iowa in Des Moines!
Manami Shah
Chennai, India | Clinical Doctorate in Audiology
What was the biggest factor in your decision to attend Nebraska for your Au.D. program?
UNL has a great Audiology program that offered me an amazing graduate assistantship package. I was also impressed by the established humanitarian audiology program in Nicaragua.
What made you interested in a career in Audiology?
I have always been service-oriented, and Audiology is a perfect blend of science and art. I aim to make a difference in the lives of my patients.
>b>How has the pandemic helped you think differently about how you will provide audiology services in the future?
The pandemic has emphasized the need for and importance of tele-audiology services.
What did you enjoy most about Nebraska's Au.D. program?
EVERYTHING!!
What’s next?
I will be working as a full-time audiologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Kate Sindt
Hay Springs, Nebraska | Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology
What was the biggest factor in your decision to attend Nebraska for your master's program?
I was drawn to UNL for the diverse clinical and academic opportunities within the program. I also had the opportunity to work as a research and teaching assistant for several different professors/supervisors, which was an incredible learning experience.
When did you know you wanted to become a speech-language pathologist?
I knew I wanted to become a speech-language pathologist after shadowing in an elementary school and observing the connection the SLP had with her students. Speech-language pathology combines my interests in English, language, and communication with the opportunity to work with students one-on-one or in smaller groups. I love how the field is at the perfect intersection of education and healthcare, and that I will have the chance to truly impact lives.
How has the pandemic helped you think differently about how you will provide speech-language pathology services in the future?
The pandemic has helped me and many others to see the potential benefits of telepractice. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have to be able to see so many different populations via telepractice, but here we are! The pandemic definitely increased my flexibility as a clinician as I have seen a wide variety of clients virtually, some in mixed groups of in-person and virtual, and in-person with masks, table dividers, face shields, etc.
What did you enjoy most about your master's program?
I enjoyed learning from knowledgeable professors and clinical supervisors, as well as getting to know and collaborate with the members of my cohort.
What’s next?
I will be working as a speech-language pathologist for Educational Service Unit 9, serving students PK-12th grade in two small school districts in south-central Nebraska.
Kim Vaske-Huff
Naperville, Illinois | Master of Education in Special Education: Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
What was the biggest factor in your decision to attend Nebraska for your master's program?
I was drawn to there being a Deaf Education program here in the Midwest because in addition to preparing me for my career, it would also help me make connections to people within my field who also work in the Midwest.
What made you interested in a career in Special Education?
I took ASL classes during my undergrad at the University of Iowa and fell in love with ASL and Deaf culture. I knew it would be a fulfilling career to combine this with my already established love for teaching.
How has the pandemic helped you think differently about how you will provide special education services to your students?
Oh boy has this been a challenge! I have had to figure out how to ensure full access to language for my students who are D/deaf and hard of hearing. With my school district being a Google district, we had to figure out how to make sure that ASL interpreters are always clearly visible to our students as well as exploring captioning services.
What did you enjoy most about your master's program?
I enjoyed the pace of my master's program and how I could complete my master's degree while also teaching full-time. The flexibility of the program truly made it possible for me to get my master's degree.
What’s next?
After graduation I plan to teach full time as a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing in Iowa. I also plan on enjoying my summer before welcoming my first child in the fall!
Emma Wilken
Kearney, Nebraska | Clinical Doctorate in Audiology
What was the biggest factor in your decision to attend Nebraska for your Au.D. program?
The awesome financial aid opportunities made UNL the obvious choice for me for my AuD program! Over the years I spent here, UNL has hired some awesome professors who will serve the future classes well.
What made you interested in a career in Audiology?
I took a hearing science class as an elective during my undergraduate courses and became super interested in all things ear. I also dealt with ear infections and tubes as a kid, so it is nice to be back in an office where I spent so much time as a young kid!
>b>How has the pandemic helped you think differently about how you will provide audiology services in the future?
It has definitely been a wild ride. I am hopeful that some things will stick – like masks during cold and flu season, and rescheduling appointments when patients are sick! It has also made me a more patient and compassionate provider, as we have seen a lot of financial instability and hardship. I am so thankful to have been able to complete my externship at a clinic that prioritized the health and safety of both their employees and patients since the beginning.
What did you enjoy most about Nebraska's Au.D. program?
I really enjoyed the connections I was able to make with my cohort members and the faculty at UNL. I am excited to have colleagues I know I can call/text/email with questions about cases, or to get coffee when I am back in Lincoln! I definitely look back on my time at the Barkley Center fondly.
What’s next?
I am so excited to have accepted a position at ENT Physicians of Kearney, where I completed my externship year! This clinic has welcomed me with open arms and has allowed me to blossom into an independent, confident clinician over the last 12 months. I am so excited to be staying in Kearney and to be able to put roots down with my husband and our dog.
Special Education and Communication Disorders