Sis, You Got This!

From Surviving to Thriving as a Minority Speech-Language Pathologist

De: Barbara Fernandes

Narrado por: Barbara Fernandes

This is a story meant to be a beacon of hope and inspiration for the minority women in speech-language pathology who find themselves struggling with a sense of belonging in their field. It follows the autobiographical account of Barbara Fernandes, an adult immigrant to the US, as she embarks on her journey as a CSD student learning both English and Spanish. It tells of her struggles facing isolation, microaggressions, and her own internal battles to eventually become one of the most successful entrepreneurs within the SLP field.

The journey from striving to thriving is amplified by the inclusion of her many Black, Brown, Latinx, Asian, and immigrant colleagues as they open up to share their own relatable challenges to persist within their field. The book serves as a rallying cry for unity and tolerance amongst minority SLPs, and it offers hope for minoritized SLP women. Lastly, it goes one final step further, asking much-needed, deep, and thought-provoking questions intended to push the field forward.

Contributors:

• Maria Claudia Franca
• DM (anonymous contribution)
• Ebony Green
• Enjoli Richardson
• Jamila Perry Harley
• Leila Regio
• Mai Ling Chan
• Michelle Hernandez
• Michelle Posner
• Pelesia Fields
• Ramya Kumar
• Tamala Close
• Pang Tao Moua
• Phuong Lien Palafox
• Yarimar Díaz Rodríguez
• Yao Du

©2022 Barbara Fernandes (P)2022 Barbara Fernandes

A must read for all SLP’s not just those in a minority

In order to do better, we must be open to listening to what our colleagues have endured to successfully graduate with a Master’s Degree in Speech Pathology. I am a white woman, my experience in grad school was nothing like what Barbara encountered, conquered and fought through, I am not in the minority, but my husband is black, my grandmother was born in San Juan, and my children are biracial and I want to do better and encourage everyone to read/listen to Barbara’s story. Barbara- you are a huge inspiration to us SLP entrepreneurs. Thank you for sharing your private life trials with the public.