Statement of Purpose - Second attempt

Feel free to critique, edit and/or shred to bits...

Parenting a special needs child was not one of the things I factored in when deciding on a final undergraduate major. At the time, I chose Business Management due to the flexibility and seemingly open-ended career prospects it offered. I did thrive for several years after graduation, working in both the private and government sector as a database report specialist. My sons’ special needs were apparent early on and by the time he was officially diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome at age 4, I choose to leave full time work to support him as he navigated the world of school, therapies and social relationships. As he has grown, I am now in the position to re-evaluate my priorities and pick, for a second time, what I want to be when I grow up.

I have always had an interest in science and biology, which is why I started my college career as a Biological Sciences major. Communication Disorders, as a path to becoming a Speech Language Pathologist, offers me the opportunity to study the physiology of communication while also building on my desire to help children maximize their potential. Having sat on the other side of the table at IEP meetings, speech evaluations and therapy sessions, I bring compassion and understanding to the arena that will only benefit my work with future clients and their families.

My primary interest is working in a school setting, but I value the Georgia State Communications Disorders program because of its well rounded emphasis on all facets of clinical SLP experience, which will allow me to make a fully informed career choice upon graduation. Regardless of the location of my future career (school, hospital or private practice) I do feel a particular calling to working within the autism community, specifically with social skills development. My son and I were fortunate enough to be involved with a camp that teamed special needs children with neurotypical high school aged “buddies” and it was an amazing, life changing event for both sets of young people. I envision that the knowledge and experience gained from completing my Masters in Communication Disorders, built upon my business background, will allow me to help establish additional camps like this and make them accessible to more families in need.

While it’s been many years since I have enrolled in an academic program, I am sure you will find that my work and volunteer experience demonstrates my willingness to learn new things, jump in where needed and successfully complete the project at hand. I thank you for reviewing my application and look forward to the opportunity to meet the admission committee in person.

It's currently 440 words, limit is 500. The guidelines are: A 300-500 word statement of your professional/career goals completed on the online application. This is your opportunity to explain how your career and educational goals are compatible with those of the program to which you are applying.