This was a professional development opportunity I had the chance to attend on January 18th of 2021. During this event, many leaders of SHAV, outstanding faculty, and some students were able to learn about how to contact our local senators and congressmen in order to advocate for change to problems the CSD field experiences. This was a great experience because I learned how to write letters to and how to go about advocating for people with speech and hearing difficulties, which is something I am passionate about and greatly interested in.

Not only did I learn how to address problems within the CSD field, but I also learned about many problems I did not know existed. As a result, I would say my biggest takeaway from the experience was learning about issues the CSD community faces and how I can personally address the problem. I foresee this skill being particularly beneficial when I start practicing as an SLP in the future.