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  Emelia Mihuc 

  Emelia Mihuc

  
  

  My name is Emelia Mihuc, and I am a first-year graduate student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program. I graduated from Eastern in December 2023 with my bachelor's. After the completion of the graduate program, I plan to work with the pediatric population in a school system as a speech-language pathologist. I really enjoy working with the little ones and seeing them grow! I chose this field because it is so rewarding, with lots of variation in the work you can do. Outside of the classroom, I love to read, spend time with my family and friends, travel, and play/coach volleyball. I coach high school and travel volleyball 10 months out of the year, which takes up a lot of time. I applied for the Brehm because I wanted to challenge myself to do something new. I have an interest in the communication sciences and disorders world, and it would be beneficial to do research that could benefit my services in the long run. I am really looking forward to this opportunity. 

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   Hannah Buck

  Hannah Buck 

  After earning my bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing & Literature from the University of Michigan and working as a middle and high school teacher in Brooklyn, New York, I am now a master’s student studying Special Education here at Eastern. Having been born with cystic fibrosis, I spent much of my life in the hospital until the age of twenty-four. Groundbreaking medical advancements gifted me a new quality of life in 2019, and I decided to take that life back to school! I am overjoyed to focus my studies on the inclusion of the community I come from: students with physical and other health impairments.

  I applied to the Brehm Scholarship because I am passionate about advancing disability justice. I am particularly interested in the impact of hospital school teachers on the psychosocial health of inpatient students. The opportunity to conduct this research is personal and incredibly fulfilling for me, and I could not be more grateful to the Brehms for their generosity.

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  Shelby Klick

  Shelby Klick

  My name is Shelby Klick and I am a graduate student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program. I am an EMU alum and graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Special Education K-12, with a Cognitive Impairment endorsement. While teaching, I worked alongside many speech-language pathologists and quickly discovered the immense impact they made in the lives of children of all ability levels. I love that as an SLP, I can combine my love of educating and working with kids while helping children build social relationships in the school setting. In my eyes, this is the best of both worlds. In my personal life, I enjoy traveling with my family and spending time with our rescue dog Clover. 

  
  I applied for the Brehm Scholarship because I want to contribute to the field of speech-language pathology. I value the partnership between faculty members and students and am motivated to stay informed on the latest research in my future profession. My research interests include augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), early intervention, and interpersonal education (IPE). My Master's thesis topic came about after being invited by one of my professors to help redesign the Early Intervention course in the CSD program. My study will focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and how it might influence SLP students' future approach to creating visual supports to enhance communication for young children and their confidence to do so. I am incredibly grateful to be chosen as a Brehm Scholar and look forward to contributing to the field in a meaningful way.

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  Kelsi Szakovits

  Kelsi Szakovits

  Hello, my name is Kelsi Szakovits. I am an undergraduate student majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Special Education. My goal in applying for the Brehm Scholarship was to increase my knowledge of special education and gain insight into the research process. 

  
  My research explores how speech-language pathologists manage dysphagia and pediatric feeding disorders in the school setting. This qualitative study involves interviewing speech-language pathologists to understand their role as well as the challenges they have in providing appropriate interventions. Specifically, this study emphasizes the overlap between feeding disorders and autism. 

  
  Through my time at Eastern Michigan University, I have had the opportunity to participate in organizations relevant to my degree such as the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association, Best Buddies, and House of College of Education. Moreover, within my classes and involvement, I learned about the importance of collaboration among all professionals and creating individualized support for the student. Thus, doing research will help me be a better clinician when working with students who have disabilities. Additionally, a faculty mentorship creates a supportive environment for me to share, learn, and grow as a student and in the professional field. 

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  Matt Eby

  Matt Eby

  Hello, my name is Matt Eby and I am in my second year of the Communication Sciences and Disorders Master’s program at Eastern Michigan University. I completed my bachelor’s in French and Linguistics at the University of Michigan where I gained research experience through a year-long non-experimental cultural analysis project. Working at an ABA clinic as well as volunteering with the UofM Aphasia Program have guided me towards the profession of speech-language pathology and I hope to work with adult and/or geriatric populations upon graduating from EMU’s program. 
  I currently live in Ypsilanti, walking distance from campus, and love to spend time outdoors. I applied for the Brehm scholarship because I am interested in taking on another year-long project where I am able to dive deep into one particular subject. I love doing research where one question leads to others, and the Brehm scholarship appears to be a great opportunity to be financially supported while pursuing answers to these questions. 

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  Amiya Carreras

  Amiya Carreras

  My name is Amiya Carreras and I am a 2nd year graduate student, in Communication Sciences and Disorders here at Eastern Michigan University. I graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2022 with a bachelors in communication sciences and disorders. I graduated with my first master's degree from The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in 2023 with a degree in elementary education. I applied for the Brehm scholarship to obtain independent research experience on topics that I am passionate about. Those topics include culturally relevant pedagogy, teacher prep programs and the graduate school admission process. I plan to obtain a PhD in education in the future to work on dismantling systems of oppression from the inside within the realm of speech-language pathology to make the field more inclusive for clinicians and clients alike. I am a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. I graduated from the Nu Theta chapter in 2022. For fun I enjoy reading and spending time with friends and family. 

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  Shanna (Shay) Morrison

  Shanna Morrison

  My name is Shanna (Shay) Morrison and I am a Michigan native who loves all things outdoors. I enjoy camping, gardening, spending time at Lake Michigan, and cycling. I have an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor in Neuroscience and worked in the dental field for six years before starting graduate school. I love connecting with people and am looking forward to my upcoming career as a speech-language pathologist as I advocate for individuals and help them on their journey to achieving their goals.

  
  As someone who began my time in graduate school with little experience in research or expectations to conduct any myself, I have grown to find so much purpose in contributing to the ever-expanding field of research. I applied for the Brehm Scholarship to be part of a group of individuals who are passionate on a certain topic that is meaningful to them and who are dedicated to researching and disseminating worthwhile information. Through research I am already conducting on faculty-student partnerships, I found myself wanting to dig deeper and explore how those partnerships can be fostered and how they can benefit students and faculty, especially in the Communication Sciences and Disorders discipline. I’m grateful to be a Brehm scholar as it gives me the ability to conduct this research, improve my own research skills and knowledge, and work and learn from other individuals who are equally as motivated as I am.

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  Samantha Kadian

  Samantha Kadian

  My name is Samantha Kadian. I am a graduate student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Master's Program. Before pursuing my master's, I was a second grade teacher for four years in Ypsilanti and there I discovered my passion is working with children. I received my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in Education. I am interested in becoming a pediatric speech-language pathologist once I receive my master's degree. 

  I began my research for my master's thesis last summer, and in that process, realized that I thoroughly enjoy the research process and the opportunity to learn more. I am conducting a qualitative research study that explores many of my interests: language, literacy, education, and speech-language pathologists' perspectives. I decided to apply for the Brehm Scholarship to continue my research project with the support of the Brehm resources, cohort, and dissemination opportunities. I learn so much from others and the opportunity to share our research with one another was something that drew me to the Brehm Scholarship.

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  Maria Aprile

  Maria Aprile

  My name is Maria Aprile and I am in the Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate program. I have a 5-year-old daughter, Charlotte, and one of our favorite things to do is go to zoos or aquariums. I work with a local non-profit, Dementia Friendly Saline, that helps caregivers and their loved ones living with dementia. In my free time, I love to read, bake, and I volunteer with both a local senior living facility in life enrichment and at Dawn Farms Rehabilitation center. I applied for the Brehm scholarship because it felt like an incredible opportunity to get into research, which is an area I have been interested in, and I felt that this scholarship would enhance my education. I am very excited to be a recipient of this scholarship!

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  Sydney Goupil

  Sydney Goupil

  My name is Sydney Goupil. I am a student in my final year of the Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate program. I am working towards becoming a speech-language pathologist and enjoying every moment.

  I applied for the Brehm scholarship because I am interested in benefitting our fields by providing research in areas that need to be explored more. I enjoyed the research course that I took in the Fall 2023 semester. I am an inquisitive person with many questions to ask. I have had an interest in research and am looking forward to learning from this opportunity!

  Some interesting facts about me are that I love to bowl, paint, read, garden, and crochet! I am from a small town named Swartz Creek just outside of the Flint area. My family and I are always looking for things to go do together such as escape rooms, axe throwing, mini golf, horse races, and so much more.

Back Row (L-R): Shelby Klick, Samantha Kadian, Shay Morrison, Maria Aprile, Matt Eby, Kelsi Szakovits, and Hannah Buck.

Front Row (L-R): Amiya Carreras and Emelia Mihuc.