Meet Some Students
Sally
Undergrad Major: Speech-Language Pathology
Year: 2nd year Speech
Q: Where are you from?
A: Oologah, Oklahoma (small town near Tulsa)
Q: If your from out of state (or even from elsewhere in TN), how does it feel to be so far away from home?
A: It was difficult in the beginning, but everyone in the department is so nice and I quickly bonded with my classmates. They're like my family away from home! And I quickly fell in love with the beauty of East Tennessee and all there is to do here, so there are plenty of distractions from being homesick!
Q: What’s your favorite thing about Knoxville?
A: I really enjoy the outdoors. Knoxville is great because it is big enough to offer all the "city amenities" and still have access to great hiking, cycling, and water sports. When I can pull myself away from school, I love being able to get away to the mountains and relax!
Q: Where’s the best place to eat in Knoxville?
A: This is a tough one - my favorites are probably Aubrey's and SunSpot
Q: What do you like to do in your free time (when you have it)?
A: When I get the chance (or feel like procrastinating), I like to ride my bike, go hiking, play with my dog (Sunny) and cat (Bowser), knit, go shopping, and just relax.
Rebekah
Undergrad Major: Audiology at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Year: 1st year AuD
Q: Where are you from?
A: Originally from Dade County, Georgia, but currently residing in Oak Ridge, TN
Q: What’s your favorite thing about Knoxville?
A: I like that I am closer to family than I was three years ago (we lived in Baltimore, MD while my husband was stationed there in the military)
Q: What’s your dream job?
A: A doctor of Audiology, running my own clinic in a small town.
Q: Who do you consider to be the most influential person in your life?
A: My grandmother, she was a strong woman and attended college when it wasn't the "norm" for women her age.
Q: What made you decide you wanted to be an audiologist/SLP?
A: I was doing research for a project at another school I was attending, and the career sounded intriguing. As I found out more and more, I decided
that being an Audiologist was what I wanted to do with my life.
Name: Rachelle
Undergraduate Major: Speech-Language Pathology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Year: 2ndYear SLP
Q: Where are you from?
A: Johnson City/Kingsport, TN
Q: Where’s the best place to eat in Knoxville?
A: Mm, tough to pick just one. One of my favorites is Tomato Head in Market Square.
Q: If you had to pick a theme song to play each time you entered a room, what would it be?
A: Ingrid Michaelson's The Way I Am
Name: Courtney
Undergraduate Major: Speech-Language Pathology at Columbia College in South Carolina
Year: 4th Year AuD.
Q: Where are you from?
A: Charleston, SC
Q: If you’re from out of state (or even from elsewhere in TN), how does it feel to be so far away from home?
A: It's definitely difficult at times, but my classmates here have become my family and have provided the continuous support and love that
I have needed while being so far away from home.
Q: Where’s the best place to eat in Knoxville?
A: There's this little place called King Tut's Grill. Honestly, it's a scary-looking place and maybe not the cleanest, but the Egyptian/Mediterranean food is
great, and the whole atmosphere of the place that is so fun and memorable. You can BYOB and drink out of flower vases, put on masks and costumes and sing karaoke, and hear
wonderful stories from the owner Moe.
Q: If you had to pick a theme song to play each time you entered a room, what would it be?
A: I think there would be several songs... a progression for my grand entrance. First would be "I Wanna Be Rich" by Calloway (we can all dream, right?!)
followed by "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" by Cake, and rounded out with "Faith" by George Michael.
Q: What made you decide to come to UT?
A: The department for sure. When I started I was really interested in Aural Rehab and loved the program in CHS. When I visited and met the faculty I was sold that this was
where I needed to be. It just felt like home. (It was definitely NOT for UT football!)
Q: What’s one thing you wish you would’ve known before coming to UT?
A: How ugly Tennessee orange really is!
Q: What made you decide you wanted to be an audiologist/SLP?
A: I loved my Audiology class in college and wasn't positive I wanted to do therapy as an SLP. I also wasn't ready to be in the "real world" and knew the Au.D.
was another 4 years of being a student -- that appealed to me!
Name: Lisa
Undergraduate Major: Speech-Language Pathology at Louisiana State University
Year: 2nd Year PhD.
Q: Where are you from?
A: I was born in Delaware and moved to Baton Rouge when I was 17. After graduating from LSU in 2005, I worked in Atlanta for 3 years. I definitely consider the
south my home now and still love LSU... Geaux Tigers!
Q: If you’re from out of state (or even from elsewhere in TN), how does it feel to be so far away from home?
A:I have always traveled and love living in new areas. There are so many great things to experience and places to explore in Eastern Tennessee.
I am enjoying the fall season again and look forward to exploring the Carolinas and the state parks that are close. I miss my family and friends and love when they come to visit!
Q: Where’s the best place to eat in Knoxville?
A: The best food is anything from the local Farmer’s Market. My favorite place to eat out is Sunspot or in the Market Square.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time (when you have it)?
A: I love anything outdoors, including running, riding my bike, rollerblading (although my last crash has made me give that up for a while), hiking and
reading. I also have a guitar which I love to look at and occasionally try to play.
Q: What’s your dream job?
A: To forever be on a college campus, preferably an SEC school! I love working with others and have a desire to help create positive learning environments for
children, especially those with speech and language disabilities. I am the nerd though, I like to weed through the data and find the meaning within all the numbers.
Q: If you had to pick a theme song to play each time you entered a room, what would it be?
A: Beautiful Day by U2
Q: What’s one thing you wish you would’ve known before coming to UT?
A: I did not realize the extent of the pumpkin patch! There is orange everywhere…!
Name: Leslie Smelcer
Year: 2nd year AuD
Q: Where are you from?
A: Strawberry Plains, TN
Q: What’s your favorite thing about Knoxville?
A: Pretty much all of my family lives here and I like to be close to them. Also, there is so much to do!
Q: What would you change about Knoxville, if you could?
A: Traffic and construction!
Q: Where’s the best place to eat in Knoxville?
A: Well, it’s technically in Strawberry Plains, but Cardin’s Drive-In is my favorite place ever.
Q: If you could use one word to describe a typical day for you, what would it be?
A: Hectic!
Q: What do you like to do in your free time (when you have it)?
A: Read and watch movies with my husband.
Q: What’s your dream job?
A: Audiologist or maybe a professional singer.
Q: If you had to pick a theme song to play each time you entered a room, what would it be?
A: "She works hard for the money" Except technically I don’t make any money yet.
Q: Who do you consider to be the most influential person in your life?
A: Jesus
Q: What made you decided to come to UT?
A: I didn’t want to move away from home AND it has a great audiology program.
Q: What do you consider to be the ideal vacation?
A: Any beach with a book.
Name: Stephen
Standing: International Ph.D.
Q: Where are you from?
A: Madrid, Spain
Q: If you’re from out of state (or even from elsewhere in TN), how does it feel to be so far away from home?
A: Generally it is a nice feeling of freedom and the certainty to be living and constructing my own life. The price for this feeling, however, is that home has stopped to be the place where I belong, as my life is now here. I left home about 7 years ago and started to live in several places in Germany before moving to the US. Doing a PhD here in TN offered me the first opportunity to live in the States. Being here, though very interesting and rewarding on its own, makes me miss, not only my home in Spain but, most of all, being in Europe in general. The differences in culture and mentality are far bigger here and may have contributed to a greater sense of isolation, sometimes.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about Knoxville?
A: The people to me constitute Knoxville’s biggest asset because it is so easy to talk to almost everybody. However, the very best thing about Knoxville are my friends and colleagues working here, who help me see life in different colors and shades and thus make my stay here really worthwhile (yes-yes, I’m talking about YOU!!!).
Q: What do you like to do in your free time (when you have it)?
A: I love to learn and practice magic and go out to the pub and convince people I have psychic powers, which gives me the chance to meet new people and have lots of fun. I also like
to take part in the monthly sessions with the Smoky Mountains Storyteller Association and in the upcoming 'Tellabrations.' I very much enjoy going for a walk for hours to clear my head. I enjoy cooking, reading and listening to music, going to salsa dancing classes (when available) and other events at the I-House. But most of all: Sleeping in... I further like do my stats... (naaahh, just kidding!!).
Q: What’s your dream job?
A: Professor/researcher and psychotherapist at the same time.
Q: If you had to pick a theme song to play each time you entered a room, what would it be?
A: Hoobastank – The First of Me
Q: What made you decide to come to UT?
A: Mainly the opportunity to do a PhD on stuttering and my advisor’s ideas. Also, the wish to go to the US for the first time.
Q: What do you consider to be the ideal vacation?
A: Well, go to Argentina and learn Tango dancing, then to Paris and show off my skills to a beautiful Parisienne; then move on to Parma/Italy and say ‘hello’ to Giacomo Rizzolatti and, why not, also visit my niece in Rome (and get the hell out as soon as she gets one of her anger attacks); then continue my journey to Lake Constance, the most beautiful little city in whole of Germany and give a talk on one of our projects, then continue visiting Taiji classes with my crazy Cantonese teacher (she was fun) and after that take the train to Ulm and visit a friend of mine and talk about the good old times over a few beers. Then go to London partying all night.... and finally, I would go back and rest at home in Madrid.
Name: Andy
Standing: Ph.D.
Q: Where are you from?
A: Nashville, TN
Q: If you’re from out of state (or even from elsewhere in TN), how does it feel to be so far away from home?
A: I’m only 3 hours away from my family, so home doesn’t seem so far away
Q: What’s your favorite thing about Knoxville?
A: I like the outdoors activities in the surrounding areas.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time (when you have it)?
A: I don’t have much free time, but I like outdoor sports and martial arts. And before graduate school I used to read for fun.
Q: What’s your dream job?
A: I’ve always wanted to be a writer or an actor.
Q: If you had to pick a theme song to play each time you entered a room, what would it be?
A: Not sure. Anything that makes me laugh, maybe Peter Griffin’s theme song.
Q: Who do you consider to be the most influential person in your life?
A: Some writers, my father, and I’ve had some good teachers.
Q: What’s one thing you wish you would’ve known before coming to UT?
A: If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t tell myself anything except have a good time. I’ve enjoyed a meandering journey.
