Advocacy

As I had the opportunity to address our Board of Communication Disorders and Sciences last week, I reflect on why being a part of state advocacy matters. Growing up in rural Tennessee, I learned early that access to care isn't just about availability, it's about whether people like us even know it exists, whether we feel it's meant for us. The children who struggle to be understood, the elderly who withdraw because they can't hear their grandchildren, the families who drive hours for services that should be closer to home, these aren't statistics or populations to serve. They're my neighbors, my people, my community. This is why I've dedicated my career to public health and education advocacy in audiology and speech pathology, and why I'm honored to pour that same passion into teaching the next generation of clinicians. I believe this work is a vocational calling in the truest Christian sense, not charity extended downward, but solidarity lived outward. It's about recognizing that when we say "underserved communities," we're talking about us, not them. We're called to ensure that every Tennessean, regardless of zip code or income, has access to the communication care that connects us to each other, to opportunity, and to the fullness of life we're all meant to live. That's not just professional advocacy, it's answering a call to serve the least of these by refusing to see anyone as "the least" at all. Even if you are not a native Tennessean, I welcome you to think in a community sense of 'us' and how we represent Tennessee as those serving and being served. #healthcareadvocacy #vocationalministry #speechlanguagepathology #audiology #tennessee #ruralhealth