Ashley Ippolito and Angelica Bernabe, SCSD doctoral scholars, and recent SCSD doctoral graduate, Dr. Brianna Coltellino, were selected by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to receive the Distinguished Early Career Professional (ECP) Certificate.  

This honor was created to highlight early-career professionals in speech-language pathology (SLP) and audiology who are making an impact through their leadership, advocacy, and volunteerism.  

Founded in 1925, ASHA brings together audiologists, speech-language pathologists, scientists, and affiliated professionals dedicated to improving lives across the nation by making effective communication accessible and achievable for all. For many Distinguished ECP Award recipients, that commitment is rooted in personal experience. Their journeys often begin as individuals who once needed access to speech-language pathology services themselves.  

For Angelica Bernabe, her journey is deeply connected to her story. She shares how seeking that access and navigating those experiences have shaped the career she has built today.

“I didn’t have the best experience with speech therapy when I was younger. At one point I got frustrated and I didn’t want to do speech therapy for some years,” said Bernabe. “It wasn’t until I was in my last year of high school that I realized I couldn’t keep avoiding it because it was limiting my participation in different environments.” 

While every speech-language pathologist has a unique path into the profession, many share a common motivation: a desire to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. For some, that passion developed through personal experiences, while others discovered it through opportunities to help those around them. 

“My path came together in a lot of individual threads,” said Ippolito. “I started my undergrad in linguistics, and then I quickly added cognitive science. Around that time, my little brother was diagnosed with dyslexia, which motivated me to develop a deeper understanding of the cognitive and linguistic processes underlying reading difficulties. His diagnosis also brought a personal dimension to my academic and research interests.” 

The path to a career in speech-language pathology also comes with challenges beyond finding an interest in the field. For some, those challenges involve navigating unfamiliar environments, adapting to different cultures, and finding a sense of belonging within the profession. 

“It means a lot to me knowing that I come from another country and I had to work a lot to have a space in my field to be able to achieve the things I have achieved,” said Bernabe. “I have to work a lot in a language that is not mine, in a culture that is different from mine, with people that are not always as welcoming.” 

Despite these obstacles, ASHA members remain committed to a shared mission of fostering more accessible and inclusive environments. Through research, the development of new tools and expanded access to resources, Bernabe and Ippolito continue working to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those within their communities and beyond.  

“We rely more on their individual strengths and use that as an advantage to push their development and make those meaningful connections across every project,” said Ippolito. “It really goes back to trying to make a difference for families, teachers, and the students themselves.”