Mary Gentile (top left), Alex Setchenska (top right), Theresa Lee (bottom left), and Tara Dickinson (bottom right) are the Undergraduate Research Assistants in the BiSC Lab, and they are all pursuing a degree in Communication Sciences.
What piqued your interest in the field of Communication Sciences?
Mary: I have always been passionate about being able to help and support people around me. I knew that becoming an SLP would give me the opportunity to make a positive impact in the lives of those with communication disorders.
Alex: I love helping people and have an interest in the clinical field. When I learned about the COSI program at CWRU, I dropped everything to live and study in Cleveland.
Theresa: I realized that the SLP profession is a very nice balance of several passions of mine: it is a combination of therapy, one-on-one interaction with patients, and potentially working with children in schools.
Tara: I worked with students with disabilities in high school, and speaking with SLPs at my school sparked my interest in the field.
What is your favorite part of BiSC Lab?
Mary: I loved getting to be the lab manager over the summer and getting to have Dr. Mulheren as a mentor. Her passion for her research has instilled a curiosity within me that inspires me to further current research within the field of Communication Sciences.
Alex: I love learning about, and discussing new aspects of the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Theresa: I love being able to gain wisdom from the other lab members, who all share the same passion for research. Maybe in the future, I will be able to share my knowledge with new, younger lab members.
Tara: It has been great to connect with undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty who are open to sharing their knowledge and experiences at CWRU and in the field.
What hobbies do you enjoy outside of the lab?
Mary: I enjoy singing and trying out new restaurants. I also am really passionate about raising funds and awareness for UH Rainbow Babies in Cleveland through Case Western’s Dance Marathon organization, SpartanTHON.
Alex: I enjoy writing fiction and discovering new places in Cleveland.
Theresa: I love to dance with Urban Elementz, a hip hop dance club on campus. I am also passionate about working with children on the spectrum, and I am a coach in the Sparties Running Program in Autism Speaks.
Tara: I sing and compete with Dhamakapella, and I enjoy reading, baking, and playing the piano.
Professionally speaking, where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Mary: I see myself working as an SLP with young children in some sort of medical setting. I am particularly interested in working with patients with dysphagia.
Alex: I see myself working and being happy in a clinical setting, though I would love to open up my own practice in a small town where SLPs are needed.
Theresa: I hope to become a bilingual speech-language pathologist working with teens and adults in diverse neighborhoods. I am interested in working with dialects and accents.
Tara: Currently, I’m interested in working as an SLP in a medical setting. I’m also particularly interested in voice disorders.