Welcome, welcome, welcome…
My name is Katie and I am a Speech-Language Pathologist (CCC-SLP) working in Anchorage, Alaska. I moved up to Alaska and signed a direct contract for the Mat-Su Borough School district and completed my Clinical Fellowship in a K-12 Elementary school. I worked in elementary schools, homebound placements, and homeschool programs. I have also worked as an Assistive Technology specialist with the school district as well.
Since 2017 when I left the school district, I’ve worked in 2 different pediatric clinics in Wasilla and Anchorage, AK. I’ve come to love and find I’m pretty great at working with neurodevelopmental disorders, dysphagia, augmentative alternative communication, and assistive technology. I’m on a current journey to become a Board Certified Swallowing Specialist (BCS-S) through ASHA’s accreditation process. It’s a 3 year journey I started in 2021.
Now I work in an outpatient Pediatric Clinic an Alaska Native-owned, nonprofit health care organization serving nearly 65,000 Alaska Native and American Indian people living in Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna Borough and 55 rural villages in the Anchorage Service Unit. I provide in-person and Zoom-based Speech, Language, and Feeding assessment and treatment. I’m also on the Autism Diagnostic Team, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) team, Neurodevelopmental Diagnostic team, and perform outpatient Video Fluoroscopic Swallow Studies (VFSS). I feel so lucky to have the position I do, varied day-to-day, and with fantastic co-workers and supports.
Here’s some pictures of my Alaskan Speech-Language Pathologist life:
Connecting
Don’t be afraid to connect with me via social media or email. I have received many emails from future SLP grad students asking for me to read letters of intent. I’ll let you know if I have time to read, or If I don’t. I also love hearing from people with questions about moving to Alaska and working as an SLP. It’s been quite the adventure and if you are interested in moving up all by yourself like this gal did – EMAIL ME. Scroll down a little further and let’s chat! I’m not a recruiter so my opinions are my own about the places I’ve lived and worked.
SLP_Echo 
Hi Katie! Just wanted to let you know that I nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. Your blog posts are always practical, helpful, and fun. I especially appreciated “Plan B…” and “Applying to Graduate School…” I know other SLP hopefuls will benefit from your blog as I am! -Andrea
Click here for award details & instructions:
http://andreasnest.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/versatile-blogger-award/
Hey, you were entered into my Movember contest for a spot on my blog’s banner since you donated and liked Bloggers for Movember on Facebook. Please let me know if you would like to accept the prize!
Love the Mahatma Ghandi quote 🙂
Hi Katie! Great blog you have here, very informative for someone like me who is just looking into the SLP career track. I was wondering if you have any advice, I hold a BS in business management and am looking for a career change for a more rewarding career. How hard are the prerequisite and grad school classes for someone like me that doesn’t have a big clinical background?
Thanks for the info!
Aaron
Hi Katie
I love your blog and stumbled upon it while I was looking at SLP jobs in alaska. I also am interested in a job up in the mat- su valley school district. How do I follow your personal blog? I’m interested to hear how you adjust to alaska.
Julie, I’m “blogging” about my Alaska journey via Google Plus. You can Circle me there and follow along. https://plus.google.com/app/basic/118180037429282814032/about?cbp=kxxluo87h73h&sview=27 Or feel free to email me if you are interested in a position. It’s already making a great impression on me! 🙂
Hi Katie!
I love your blog!
I am currently finishing up grad school in speech, and considering relocating to Alaska for my CFY. I see that you’ve been through many of the decisions I’m making right now in my own life, and I would really love if we could chat and I could get some perspective.
I couldn’t find your email anywhere on your page, so I’m contacting you through this comment…. I would really appreciate any advice on this process. My email is Kristina.r.sutton@gmail.com if you had a spare moment. 🙂
Thanks so much,
Kristina
Hi,
Where in AK are you?
Kirk
Hi,
I am an undergrad and will be graduating at the end of this semester. I applied to one graduate program at the same school that I attend, and yesterday I received a rejection letter. I am very upset about it, and had a couple hours of feeling hopeless. After two hours I decided that feeling sorry for myself is not going to help me at all, I put it on my refrigerator door to remind myself everyday, that no matter what, I will work hard to reach my goal.
I am married, have two children, have a crazy busy schedule and am graduating with a 3.3 overall GPA, 3.6 in the department. I know that my GPA is not good, and that it’s probably what bought me that rejection. How can someone in my position improve their chances at getting accepted? Is that GPA going to continue to kill my chances?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Because I have a family, I can not simply pick everything up and move in order to attend graduate school…. I plan to apply to a few schools next year, and I hope to make my application stand out enough to buy myself a chance at pursuing my dream!
BTW thanks for the blog, it’s pretty great. Nice to read comments from others that are in similar situations as mine, and to know I’m not alone. 🙂
Cristina, once you graduate it’s hard to do anything academically to improve the hard numbers of your application. I would take this year to try and find a place to observe or work in a program that deals with the populations SLPs serve. Also, consider asking current professors if there will be any research opportunities after you graduate that you can still assist with. Connect with current SLPs in your area that could serve as references next year. You can actually enter SLP grad school with 50 SLP hours. 25 are obserbation, but if an SLP with CCCs observes you doing direct therapy, it can count and put on your resume.
Hope that helps! Feel free to get in touch via my contact page.
…and I love the Mother Teresa quote!
Hello!
I am currently looking at starting Graduate School next year in the Spring. I definitely appreciate all the honest and helpful tips you have provided especially on the GRE. I have always been pretty bad at standardized test but your insight into what to aim for is really helpful! I have only taken it once and already I am in the score range you suggested. (Can’t decide whether or not to tackle that test again)
In all of my worries I appreciate your ability to answer questions that have been plaguing me since I decided this major was for me!