Graduate Travel
Professional Travel Grants for Graduate Students
VSCA Conference 2017
7 years
I enjoyed my experience at the 2017 Virginia School Counseling Association (VSCA) Conference in Hampton Roads. Lead Well was the theme for the 2017 conference. My favorite part of the 2017 conference was the opening session keynote speaker Dan St. Romain, M.Ed. Mixed Messages: The Changing Face of Discipline. The home, school and society has drastically changed within the past few decades resulting in a striking effect on student behaviors. During Dan St. Romain’s collaborative session, participants assessed the dynamics and examined implications for school counselors as a result. The remainder of my day consisted of attending specific breakout sessions focusing on Well-Being Therapy, Supporting Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Students, Graduate Student- Roundtable, Filling the Gap: Identifying and Developing School Counselor Leaders and The Power of Passion in Career Development. I appreciated the Graduate Student Round Table the most since it focused on the issues and topics related to starting careers in school counseling. That night I attended a Networking Social for School Counselors. Friday involved attending three other breakout sessions and closing out the conference with an awards luncheon and keynote speaker. I am glad that I attended the 2017 VSCA Conference and appreciative of the experiences I took with me.
VSCA 2017
7 years
I was able to attend the Virginia School Counselor Association 2017 conference in Hampton, Virginia from October 11-13 thanks to the College of Graduate and Professional Studies at Longwood University. School counselors from across the state were in attendance. On Wednesday evening my classmates and I dined with Dan St. Romain, the conference’s keynote speaker. After hearing him speak the next morning, I attended many informative breakout sessions. I learned about current trends in the school counseling profession, ways to align a school counseling program with the American School Counselor Association national model, and how to motivate unmotivated students. The next morning there were more informative breakout sessions followed by an awards luncheon. Going to this conference allowed me to gain knowledge from current school counselors in the field.
Virginia School Counselor Association 2017
7 years
Attending the Virginia School Counselor Association Conference helped improve my professional identity. This conference was full of influential speakers who have experience working with students from several districts in Virginia. Having the opportunity to listen to these speakers was both informative and eye-opening. The most impactful speaker was the keynote speaker, who discussed the mixed messages delivered to students and how they effect their actions and behaviors within a school environment. This information will be very beneficial to me and my future as I continue to develop my professional identity. I also had the opportunity to meet school counseling coordinators from districts around Virginia. During this time I was able to discuss current issues and trends that school counselors are encountering in their everyday work. It was great to be surrounded by individuals who spoke the same language as me and understand the impact we have within schools. I look forward to attending more conferences surrounding counseling education!
VSCA
7 years
I had such a wonderful time at the Virginia School Counseling Association (VSCA) Conference in Hampton, Virginia. This was my first time attending VSCA and definitely will not be my last. I attended alongside of five of my School Counseling cohorts (pictured above)! I was able to attend sessions throughout my time at the conference that I hold near and dear to my heart. Dropout Prevention in Elementary and Middle School Students, Technology Smarter Not Harder, and Emerging Leader Lead Counselors were just a few of the breakout sessions I attended. I thoroughly enjoyed networking with other school counselors across the state of Virginia. I was so proud of Longwood’s representation at VSCA this year and was very proud to say I was a Graduate Student from Longwood. This experience is one I will never forget and am so thankful for the opportunity of being able to attend and represent Longwood!
VSCA
7 years
The cohort of students at Longwood who are studying to become school counselors is relatively small, with our smallest class containing only 6 students. We all have a shared passion and spend much of our time together discussing topics related to school counseling. Being used to such a small group of people, it was exhilarating to walk into the Virginia School Counselor Association conference and see hundreds of school counselors who were all speaking our language! From small group action plans, to advocacy, to implementing the ASCA national model- it was clear that we had come to the right place. I had the opportunity to view 8 different presentations over the course of the conference, each one offering helpful information for school counselors to know. My favorite presentation was about technology tools and how school counselors can use technology to work smarter, not harder. Through this presentation, I was introduced to several apps, websites, and ideas that I could easily see myself implementing as a school counselor. Another benefit of attending this conference was meeting experienced school counselors. I enjoyed learning the different ways that school counselors work to help their students, schools, and communities. It was inspiring to be surrounded by so many professionals who share my passion and love the career that they have chosen, and I hope to attend more VSCA conferences in the future.
SHAV Conference 2017
7 years
I had a wonderful time during my recent trip to the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia’s annual conference in Richmond, Virginia. I took part in activities every day of the conference, which took place March 22-25. I attended several sessions about the various aspects of speech-language pathology. The sessions will help me with my current clients and they provided me with information and techniques that will assist me to serve my future clients. The sessions enabled me to learn more in depth information about licensing, professional development, language disorders, neonatal intensive care unit feeding strategies, dysphagia (both pediatric and adult), and aphasia. I was able to apply what I have been learning from my classes and clinic to understand the research and the methods the speakers were presenting. In addition, I presented at the student poster session where I was awarded first place for the research related to my thesis! The conference was a marvelous opportunity to learn from professional speech-language pathologists and audiologists and interact with my future colleges. I look forward to attending the conference next year.
SHAV Conference 2017
7 years
Longwood students at SHAV 2017
This past weekend I had the pleasure and opportunity to attend the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia’s (SHAV) annual conference from March 23th-25th. This was my second time attending the conference. Not only does SHAV provide attendees with the opportunity to gain continuing education related to a wide variety of topics, it also allows for networking with different organizations and professionals in the field of speech language pathology. I found this to be of utmost importance, as I will be entering the field in August. Besides networking, I attended a variety of presentations at SHAV. I learned a lot about reading comprehension, especially as it applies to the school setting. I felt as though these sessions complemented the information I was taught at Longwood University and helped to further my knowledge and skills related to this area. Besides two sessions related to literacy, I attended a sessions related to social communication disorders and different models of service delivery in a school setting. My favorite aspect about these sessions is that they were all extremely practical and contained information that I can use with my current clients and/or future clients. When the conference came to a close, I found myself thinking that I cannot wait to attend next year and for many years after that. I am so grateful for the opportunity to attend the SHAV 2017
SHAV Conference 2017
7 years
Recently I had the opportunity to attend the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV) annual conference, which was held in RIchmond, VA this year. At this conference, I made connections in the professional field by volunteering to serve at registration and to assist with any other needs during the conference. For instance, I made some connections with teachers in a local school district where I am from, interviewed with them the following week, and am happy to say I am employed! This conference was such a good networking opportunity as a student, but as an outgoing student, soon-to-be clinician, it was also an educational opportunity as I attended several seminars on various topics within the field of Speech-Language Pathology of which I was interested. For example, I attended a seminar on bilingual students and learned how to better served them based on their cultural and linguistic differences and preferences. I look forward to attending SHAV 2018 as a Speech-Language Pathologist!
SHAV 2017
7 years
On March 24th, I attended the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV) Conference in Richmond, VA. I sat in on a variety of sessions throughout the day. The first two were in regards to a multimodal approach for intervention with children using AAC. I also attended an afternoon session about the basics of intervention for those with autism, and visited the student poster presentations. Throughout the day, I learned valuable new information that I can incorporate into my own therapy techniques. I look forward to returning to SHAV in future years!
SHAV Conference 2017
7 years
On March 23rd-25th, I attended the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV) Conference in Richmond, Virginia. This was my second time attending the conference and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. I was able to see my classmates and we were able to discuss our clinical placements, as well as share information regarding different therapy techniques we have learned this semester. I also was able to network and meet fellow speech-language pathologists in Virginia. This year, I attended many lectures regarding the geriatric population. I attended lectures about dysphagia, both treatment and evaluation, and about cognitive impairments within skilled nursing facilities and acute hospitals. My favorite lecture was “True” Dysphagia vs. Cognitive Impairment: Exploring Mealtime Impairments in Dementia. At this lecture, I learned that there are many signs and symptoms related to dementia. The dining environment may be a confusing place for someone who has dementia, causing difficulty at meal time. The lecture provided different techniques to utilize during dining experiences in order to prevent aspiration and/or penetration. I learned extremely useful information at SHAV that I know I will use in my future career as a speech-language pathologist.