Mariam Turner

"As the countenance is made beautiful by the soul's shining through it, so the world is made beautiful by God's shining through it." // intended Communication Sciences and Disorders major // University of Georgia

Since my father suffered a severe brain injury years ago, I've been set on wanting to help people communicate, maybe for the first time, maybe not. I've seen firsthand how life's firsts, like speaking, come back around for some people with brain injuries and I want to be a part of their recovery.

Since I moved to Athens and started volunteering at a local establishment called Extra Special People, I've also developed an interest in working with individuals with special needs. I've experienced more joy with them than I thought the whole city of Athens had. Many of them have speech and hearing impediments that I want to work with in my field one day.

Speech therapy feels like a perfect fit because I'll have opportunities to work with situations and people similar to what I described above. I'm so thankful to have a purpose behind my work in college and a fulfilling career to look forward to in the future.