I Chose Salus
Speech-Language Pathology
Hello! I'm Jaylene Fermin, a second-year graduate student in Speech-Language Pathology (SLP). I earned my Bachelor of Science degree from Bloomsburg University, where I majored in Communication Sciences and Disorders and minored in Spanish. Coming from a Spanish-speaking family of Dominican descent, I am committed to addressing the shortage of bilingual SLPs to provide dedicated services to my Spanish-speaking community.
During my summer clinical placement, I had the experience of applying my Spanish skills at an early intervention program/preschool in Philadelphia. Currently, my externship at an elementary school in South Philadelphia allows me to work with a diverse population of bilingual students. This opportunity is enhancing my skills in evaluating bilingual students and those with various dialects, ensuring accurate treatment approaches in order to prevent overdiagnosis related to language and dialectal differences. Outside of school/externship I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, and going to concerts. I especially love traveling to tropical places with beautiful beaches!
Here's what a typical day in my life looks like:
Mondays and Wednesdays
6:00 a.m.: Wake up, get ready, and make coffee.
7:10 a.m.: Drive to externship site at Thomas Elementary School in South Philly.
7:55 a.m.: Arrive at Thomas Elementary and begin to plan for the day.
9:05 a.m.: First group session of the day (there are about six group sessions each day).
11:20 a.m.: Lunch.
Any free periods are used to debrief with my supervisor, prepare, observe evaluations, or read articles that support evaluation and treatment as a school SLP.
3:05 p.m.: Students are dismissed from school and debriefing with my supervisor happens.
3:25 p.m.: Drive back home.
4:10 p.m.: Arrive home and take a small break before class.
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: Synchronous class (either Augmentative and Alternative Communication or Special Topics Seminar).
The rest of the night is used for going to the gym, making dinner, and watching TV (currently watching Grace and Frankie).
Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays
My externship schedule is the same (6:00 a.m. to 4:10 p.m.). These days I do not have synchronous classes from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., so after I get home at 4:10 I will go to the gym, eat dinner, do homework/study, and watch TV. I try to be in bed everyday by 9:30 p.m.
Learn More About the University's Speech-Language Pathology Program
