Kevin Simmons is a first-year graduate student in COSD. When asked what drove him to choose a career in speech-language pathology, he said: “My grandfather, Dr. Otis Simmons is one of my heroes. I loved listening to his stories because they were all filled with wisdom and he always quoted famous philosophers. I remember one of his favorite quotes was: "Find a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life." – Confucius. A career in speech-language pathology allows me to do what I love (listen and share stories with others). It was God's provision in my life and my grandfather's values that were instilled in me that were driving forces to choose a career in speech language pathology. We're in a field of work where we can make a huge impact in an individual's life as well as their family. That right there is so rewarding to me.” He sees himself working in the school setting with the pediatric population and he is interested in fluency research. In his free time, he likes to listen to Justin Bieber, draw, and eat great food. In the next 5-10 years, he sees himself opening a private practice, The Singing SLP, and partnering with ASHA to foster the recruitment of people of color for speech-language pathology.

COSD Professor Dr. Diane Millar had this to say about Kevin: “The world is a better place because of individuals like Kevin. He’s gracious, generous, thoughtful, and compassionate. Every day, I see the people around him change because of his positivity, and whenever anyone mentions him by name, their smile gets a little bigger and their voice a little softer. Thank you, Kevin, for all that you do and all that you inspire!” 

Shannon is a Radford University alum who graduated with her Masters, in COSD, in 2014. Before coming to Radford, she completed her undergrad at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has been an SLP for 6 years and is the owner of Speechy Musings. Speechy Musings is a blog and store tailored to helping SLPs be effective clinicians and provides insight for growth in their career. Shannon has had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings throughout her career and she loves the variety. She first worked in a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic and then transitioned into a school setting. She worked with elementary and preschoolers and eventually saw herself working with middle school students. She currently works per diem at a variety of pediatric settings. She enjoys being an SLP because she loves the children she’s been able to work with and enjoys the fast-paced nature of the job. She never finds herself bored and feels like there is always more to learn to continue growing as a professional. In her free time Shannon enjoys being outside and traveling. She hikes several times a week and uses every opportunity she can to travel somewhere new.