ASU alum advocates through action

A desire to make connections and help others is what led Meaghan Riordan to pursue a career as a speech-language pathologist assistant.

With that goal in mind, she enrolled in the speech and hearing sciences bachelor's degree program at Arizona State University's College of Health Solutions, later complementing it with the speech-language pathology assistant (SLPA) certificate. The 2015 graduate, who also minored in Spanish Literature, has since worked as a speech-language pathologist assistant and, for the past three years, has held the title of quality assurance administrator at The Centers for Habilitation.

In this role, she has been able to use the skills gained during her time in college to advocate for adults living with disabilities through policy writing, behavior plan development, training support, and ensuring compliance with state requirements.

Riordan also helps to occasionally write grants and recently won funding to provide communication devices as part of the center's Day program as well as training on how to implement them. She says working with this population — which is historically underserved and under-resourced — and seeking ways to provide a good quality of life is “an honor and a privilege.”

Read the below Q&A to learn more about Riodran's work and career inspiration.

Question: What inspired you to pursue your field of study?

Answer: My mom has been a special education teacher for more than 20 years. As a child, I would hear stories of the students that she helped, and then I was able to volunteer in high school at her school in a self-contained autism classroom. I loved it because of the connections that I made with the students. A good friend of mine was a year older than me and was getting her degree at ASU in speech and hearing sciences. I knew that I wanted to go into a field to help others, and after talking with her and being on the ASU campus, I decided that was what I wanted to do.

Q: What is the most fulfilling part of your career?

A: Being able to serve this population at The Centers for Habilitation by helping people with developmental disabilities is the most amazing feeling. It’s also a privilege to use my education and the skills gained in this role to be able to effect change and write policy that can truly impact people’s lives.

Q: What is the best advice, professionally or otherwise, you have ever received and continue to carry with you?

A: There are two things that I carry with me. The first is about how to approach work. I was told to come at it with curiosity as opposed to judgment, and that’s been very helpful when assisting people when they are struggling to learning new skills. The second is more to do with people who work in industries where you care for others, and that is to make sure to take care of yourself outside of work. You cannot pour from an empty cup, so having good boundaries is not just a good idea but necessary.

Q: What advice would you give to current students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in speech and hearing science, either about school or in preparation for graduation and getting a job?

A: Use your time at the College of Health Solutions and ASU wisely. Work hard and get experience. I think classes and coursework are wonderful, but there's something to be said about taking what you've learned and applying it because that's a whole different ball game and skill set.

With that being said, take advantage of the opportunities that a big college and university have to offer, like being involved in research. Finally, don’t listen to others' opinions; know that you can learn the skills that you need to be successful.