Outstanding Seniors in the College of Science: Alicia Salazar Contreras
This spring, the College of Science recognized 12 outstanding seniors for their contributions in and out of the classroom. Alicia Salazar Contreras is this semester's recipient from Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences!
The College of Science caught up with Alicia to learn more about her experiences at the University of Arizona and what is on the horizon after graduation.
Why did you choose to study in your specific department/major?
When I first learned about the speech, language, and hearing sciences major/department, I was really excited to learn more about the development of language in children, more specifically bilingual children. The major especially caught my attention when I learned about the possible career opportunities in speech-language pathology and the diverse careers you can have as an SLP. What really enforced my interest in the major as well was the large need for bilingual speech-language pathologists. Having grown up as a bilingual Spanish-English speaker, I knew that I ultimately would want to help bridge the gap in resource availability for Spanish speakers in Tucson, especially for such an interesting career!
Tell me about a class or research project you really enjoyed.
I personally really enjoyed learning about bilingual language development this semester in our Bilingualism, Multiculturalism, and Language Varieties course. This class opened my eyes to the various ways that clinicians can adapt their services to best fit the needs of all individuals, even if they are speakers of a language they have never learned. It has been very impactful to also learn about the barriers that individuals can face when seeking speech and language services, leading to a shift in perspective towards service availability for underserved populations across the United States.
What is one specific memory from your time at UA that you'll cherish forever?
One memory that I will cherish forever was when I went to my first football game with my family at the University of Arizona. It was an amazing time for them to get a glimpse of our campus and support the team we have always loved as native Tucsonans. I still have lots of pictures from this game, and I hope to attend more games with them in the future!
What are you most proud of having accomplished in your time at UA?
Across my time at the University of Arizona, I am most proud of my contributions to undergraduate research through the development of "Sopa de Pescado" being a Spanish language passage aiming to assist in the assessment of motor speech disorders. The development of this passage only highlights that we are able to adopt frameworks already being utilized within the profession to languages spoken in underserved populations who are just as deserving of adequate care and resource availability. We hope that this passage with spark new approaches in practice that are culturally and linguistically aligned.
What is next for you after graduation?
After graduation, I will be returning to the University of Arizona to pursue my graduate studies. With my ultimate goal of becoming a certified bilingual speech-language pathologist, I will receive my clinical training through the Master of Sciences in Speech-Language Pathology program and engage in graduate level research.