USM Childrens Center Graduate Assistant Receives National Award

“She sings silly songs to calm wailing toddlers, makes rapid clinical decisions when children decide to throw her activities rather than participate, and has probably gotten one too many callouses on her fingers from cutting out project materials,” says Hannah Sanders, speech-language pathologist at The Children's Center for Communication Development, and direct supervisor to graduate assistant Elizabeth Kubik.

Not your typical review of a graduate student, but those who work in the field of speech pathology would recognize it as a glowing one. Characteristics that may seem, at first glance, to be insignificant, are the very characteristics that will set a clinician in this field apart, and the very skills that become essential to bringing out the best in children with language delays.

Earlier this week the praise for Kubik's hard work reached beyond The Children's Center, housed at The University of Southern Mississippi. Kubik received the Mississippi Speech and Hearing Association's Outstanding Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Clinician Award at its Annual Continuing Education Conference in Natchez, Mississippi.

“Elizabeth has gone above and beyond the requests placed before her during her time at The Children's Center for Communication and Development. She tackles even the most difficult conversations and situations with a professionalism and poise that is not often seen in young graduate students,” says Sanders.

Each year, The Children's Center, which is a non-profit that provides cost-free services to infants and children with complex disabilities in Southern Mississippi, provides hands-on training for a select group of university students in fields of study related to the services provided at the center.

“I am so humbled and honored to receive this award,” said Kubik. “It inspires me to continue to strive to be the best speech-language pathologist I can be. I am so grateful for the experience and knowledge that I have gained though The University of Southern Mississippi's Speech and Hearing Department, and The Children's Center for Communication and Development.”

Sanders notes that The Children's Center has been equally honored to have Kubik as part of its renowned program. Those who have worked with this talented student look forward to seeing where her bright future will lead her, and what young lives she will surely touch.