The Power of Speech: A scholarship at the School of Health and Medical Sciences propelled Olivia Nasisi’s career helping others communicate.
I enjoy coaching the next generation of speech therapists."
Olivia Nasisi '21/M.S. '23 first cultivated her interest in speech-language pathology as a teenager. It was her sophomore year at Montville Township Public High School, and she'd become a mentor for a special education class for students with disabilities such as Down syndrome and autism. A couple of times a week, a speech therapist would come in to work with the students. "We'd play 'restaurant' or all different sorts of role-playing scenarios to help them build their communication skills," Nasisi recalls. "I thought, this woman has the best job ever! It was a really valuable experience for me." Her senior year, she went on to shadow that same speech therapist outside of school. "It was really great to get experience into the lifespan of speech you can work with, from a baby in the NICU to someone on their deathbed."
Nasisi followed her passion to Seton Hall, where she entered a six-year, dual-degree program that enables students to earn a master's in speech-language pathology at the School of Health and Medical Sciences (SHMS), after completing their undergraduate degree and certification in elementary and special education. "It's one of the few programs I'd seen that offered that," she says.
To pay for graduate school, Nasisi took out a loan, secured a grant and did whatever other work she could find, including babysitting and dog-sitting. On more than one occassion, she more or less emptied her bank account.
The Rita and Lawrences Salva Fellowship Fund was the first of its kind for the School of Health and Medical Scienes. The fund was established by Rita, M.A. '04 and Lawrence Salva to support fellowships specifically for SHMS students, like Nasisi.
"It was just a weight off my shoulders," says Nasisi. "I didn't have to take out a loan for my final semester, and it was a huge relief to go through that last semester and take my Praxis and graduate with a clear head and less debt in the end."
During her two years at SHMS, Nasisi benefited from the school’s simulation labs, in which professional actors assume the roles of patients. “It ensures a wide range of scenarios are taught, and they were able to curate them for us very specifically,” says Nasisi. “Afterward we would debrief and unpack everything that went on.” She also completed two clinical internships and an externship, which helped her land a job as a speech-language pathologist for the public school district in Newton, New Jersey. “Having the experience of being in clinical settings meant that I was able to be out in the field before graduating. It gave me a lot of different skills that I’m able to call upon now.”
Nasisi has continued her relationship with Seton Hall by establishing a partnership with the university to accept SHMS grad students for externships in her school district, where she’s up for tenure next year. She also goes back to campus to participate in alumni panels and open houses for prospective students. “I enjoy coaching the next generation of speech therapists,” she says.