Internship Site Spotlight 2019: Victoria Elledge

Year 2 scholar Victoria Elledge is completing her summer 2019 internship at “I CAN” Pediatric Speech Therapy in Wilkes County, NC. Her supervisor, Haylee Church, says “Victoria has done awesome this whole summer. She has  really stepped up and been really independent. I’m super excited and proud of her! I hope to see her as a speech therapist one day.”

What do you enjoy most about your internship? My favorite part of my internship is being able to gain experience working in my dream job and with my ideal demographic. I want to be a Speech Language Pathologist, working with children facing social determinants of health, and that is exactly the demographic I work with and job position I shadow at my internship site.

What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome so far in your internship? What tools did you use to overcome it? I had to become accustomed to the work environment at my internship site. I have never worked or shadowed at a therapy clinic, so this was a completely new experience for me. To adjust to my new environment, I relied on my leadership training from the GLSLP and my drive for success.

What aspect or element of the Golden LEAF Scholars Leadership Program has been particularly helpful during your internship? I really rely on my Myers-Brigg Type Indicator (MBTI) and FIRO-B test. My results help me remember my strengths in the workplace and the areas for improvement. It also reminds me that other people are different from me and having varying needs. I think it helps me be the best intern I can be.

How has your internship enhanced your ability to move forward in your field of study? In my internship, I get countless hours of hands-on experience like assisting in speech therapy sessions, writing visit notes, assisting with speech and language with evaluations, developing care plans, and so much more. This is experience has proved to me that I love my intended career and want to keep pursuing this dream.

Which professional-level skill(s) listed by your supervisor has/have proved to be the most challenging to develop? The most difficult professional-level skill to develop is problem-solving for children with special needs or adaptations. It can be difficult to design therapy goals and session topics when children have multiple sensory, communication, occupational, and physical needs.