We are currently in our eighth year of the specialty program. So far, forty-four students have graduated and most of the graduates are working in jobs with caseloads that include deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Several graduates are working at schools for the deaf. Five students are in their second year of the program and another six students began their studies this fall.

Here's what these students have to say about the program:

Kristen Coleman, a member of the first cohort of students, who now has a job working with deaf and hard-of-hearing preschoolers and their families, reflects on her training:

"I found it very helpful to have courses at both colleges. It allowed me to have an all around feel for the Deaf community.... Each class as well as the professors, supervisors and students with whom I worked brought very different opinions and perspectives..., I was so fortunate to have such wonderful opportunities and experiences that have helped me grow as a clinician as well as opened so many doors of opportunity for me. I noticed going on job interviews that we were very marketable with our attached Deafness Specialty Certificate!"

Tasha Lais, a student in the second year of the program,
provides the following comments on her experience:

"The deafness specialty program at Nazareth has provided a variety of opportunities to develop knowledge and specialized skills crucial for speech and language intervention with individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. I have had the opportunity to work with students ranging in ages from 4 years old up to 25 years old. These experiences have granted me the chance to improve on my sign language skills and Cued Speech skills. From the classroom and the therapy room, I have gained a vast amount of valuable information regarding deafness."

Karen Jaiclin, a new student in the program this year comments on why she selected this option for her graduate training:

"I chose the specialty program at Nazareth because I had a long-term interest in sign-language and the deaf, and no other program had the same kind of focused coursework and hands-on opportunity. Here, I'll have a chance to do therapy with deaf people with a range of language backgrounds, and get to experience things I'd otherwise only read about."

To add to the human side of this site, we are posting some pictures of graduate students engaged in various learning activities.

Some specialty preparation graduate students take a break in their activities at Çue Camp to pose with three of their young clients attending camp during the summer.

Specialty Preparation graduate student Courtney Britcher enjoys a session with a two-year-old child who has receiveda cochlear implant.

Specialty preparation graduate student Tasha Lais conducts an auditory training session with a five-year-old boy who has recently received a cochlear implant.

While waiting for a class to begin, three of the second year students ponder that perplexing question "Where are all the boys in this program, anyway?!!"