Impact through communication: UniSQ students discover the power of speech pathology

This Speech Pathology Week (24-30 August), the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) is celebrating the impact of the profession and the passion of its future graduates.

Over 1.2 million Australians live with communication needs, and speech pathologists play a vital role in supporting wellbeing, confidence, independence, and connection across the lifespan.

Nationally, one in four children start school developmentally behind in communication, and half of all people who need formal assistance with communication have an unmet need.

For UniSQ students, the opportunity to make a real difference is what inspires them most.

Third-year student Caitlin Canty said the most rewarding part of the profession was knowing how much of an impact it has on people’s lives.

“As a future speech pathologist, I am most looking forward to improving the lives of a diverse range of people and hopefully one day get the opportunity to open my own paediatric clinic,” she said.

Fellow third-year student Natasha Keely said her passion for the field comes from its power to support fundamental aspects of human life.

“I love speech pathology because it’s a qualification that helps people immensely with basic, but essential needs in communication and swallowing,” she said.

Second-year student Alyssa Loughman said she valued the profession’s flexibility.

“It allows you to help people and maintain a healthy work/life balance. It has multiple areas you can work in too,” she said.

With such passionate students, UniSQ is proud to be preparing the next generation of speech pathologists to transform lives through communication.

Learn more about studying Speech Pathology at UniSQ.