ASHA Student Ethics Essay Award First Place Winner: Rachel Nelson

 

Rachel Nelson, first year graduate student, won the first place of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association's (ASHA) Student Ethics Essay Award (SEEA).  The 2020 Student Ethics Essay prompt was "consider the cultural background, experiences, and/or possible biases of clinicians and their clients related to cultural and linguistic diversity." In her essay Rachel discussed cultural competence and the speech-language-pathologist’s role in providing the highest quality of care to all individuals. This essay helped her grow as a student because it pushed her to critically think and consider ASHA’s code of ethics and her future role as a professional in serving individuals from all cultures and linguistic backgrounds.