Following graduation, many seniors have dreams of exploring the world. For one senior at Santa Fe high school, that dream is soon to become a reality. Emily Morris is planning on exploring Spain and becoming a Bilingual Speech Pathologist.
Emily has a Spanish background on her dad’s side, and a majority Spanish speaking family. Although she had lost most of her Spanish, she has worked tirelessly to regain and perfect her speaking, writing and listening abilities. In order to connect more with her heritage, she began her language-learning journey in eighth grade and is still going strong five years later.
Now a prominent member of the Spanish Honor Society and Spanish Club, she has become fluent in Spanish. Morris will continue her language and prerequisite study at Oklahoma State University.
In her sophomore year, Morris plans to attend the University of Kansas and apply for the study abroad program. Her language journey will continue in Spain throughout her junior and senior years of college.
A study abroad program is an opportunity for students to continue their college studies in a foreign country. Students still attend lectures through their college or from a partnering foreign university. According to bestcolleges.com, studying abroad for one semester of college can range anywhere between $7,000 and $30,000 with summers costing less.
Emily is currently undecided on where she wants to study in Spain. However, she has interest in both Valencia and Granada due to their flourishing programs. A personal connection is also playing a role in her decision. The University of Seville is another potential option.
“I have family that lives in Seville, so that is leaning me towards going somewhere near there,” Morris said.
One tradition that her family always celebrated, especially in her younger years, was Three Kings Day. Three Kings Day is on Jan. 6 and is celebrated as the day the three wise men first saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts. On this day in Spain, many children get their Christmas presents. They primarily celebrated this holiday when they lived close to their grandma, but haven’t recently.
While in Spain, Emily plans on obtaining a degree and position in speech pathology, while taking the test to be certified as bilingual.
“I knew I wanted to major in something medical, so as of right now I really want to be a speech pathologist,” Morris said.
Emily wants to pursue speech pathology due to its broad spectrum, enabling her to assist various individuals and build personal connections while helping people improve their communication skills. She is motivated by the belief that language and communication are often overlooked, and she is committed to aiding those who struggle to communicate, such as individuals with speech difficulties, in regaining their ability to speak effectively. Additionally, she aspires to become bilingual in the field to better serve Spanish-speaking communities, recognizing the importance of equal access to speech therapy and support for all individuals.
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, speech pathologists are experts in communication. They practice aspects of it, including speech sounds, language, social communication, voice, fluency, and feeding and swallowing, particularly in younger children.
While in Spain, Emily is hoping to find and live in an apartment. She has always dreamed of traveling abroad, but never really knew it was an option until she started researching and found out it was more accessible than originally believed.
Once she is finished with school, Emily plans on staying in Spain for as long as possible and hopes to start working as soon as possible there. After gaining experience abroad, she hopes to work with children with disabilities or other medical obstacles preventing them from speaking to their full ability.
“Everyone in our family is going to miss her so much,” said Megan Morris, Emily’s younger sister. “But we are all so proud of her achievements and can’t wait to see what she will accomplish in the future.”
