Two women in front of research poster board

Alison Dungca (right) attended the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) National Convention in November as a member of the Minority Student Leadership Program.

Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) senior Alison Dungca attended the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) National Convention in November as a member of the Minority Student Leadership Program (MSLP).

MSLP is a leadership program designed for students of all program levels; undergraduate, master’s, Doctor of Audiology, and Ph.D. Students are selected from programs throughout the country. Dungca was one of the six undergraduates who were invited to participate in the program this year. The program gives students the opportunity to network with professionals and students from around the country. For example, Dungca had opportunities to participate in a number of ASHA board meetings and to meet the current president of ASHA.

The professions of speech-language pathology and audiology are composed of white females primarily. Participating in MSLP allowed Dungca to interact with professionals and students from a variety of diverse groups and to realize that there are a number of ASHA members working toward some of the same goals she has for the profession: inclusion, diversity, and cultural competency. Dungca found the experiences she had and the knowledge she gained to be highly positive experiences.