U of A Graduate Chosen as Mentor of Year for Communication Disorders Program

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Top, Aletha Cook, left, congratulates speech-language pathologist Maureen "Mo" Fernicola, who was honored as Mentor of the Year. Outstanding students Rebecca Torres, from left, Abigail Kymer-Davis and Bethany Cebuhar were recognized during the communication disorders symposium on April 15.

Maureen "Mo" Fernicola is a University of Arkansas graduate who mentors U of A students now that she works as director of rehabilitation services at Rogers Health and Rehab. The communication disorders program awarded Fernicola its Mentor of the Year award for 2017 at a symposium earlier this month.

She said she was honored to be entrusted with the responsibility of supervising graduate clinicians in the program.

"When I first started working as a speech-language pathologist, it took me several years to figure out how to use my core self in therapy, not just use the knowledge I had gained in school," Fernicola said. "As a mentor of students, I try to focus not only in learning how theories guide you with a living, breathing patient, but how self-knowledge can enhance your therapeutic skills."

Graduate students submitted nominations for the award via an electronic survey. A committee of communication disorders faculty reviewed the nominations to choose the recipient.

The program also recognized three students during the symposium:

• Outstanding Overall Student: Rebecca Torres, second-year graduate student
• Outstanding Clinician: Abigail Kymer-Davis, second-year graduate student
• Emerging Excellence: Bethany Cebuhar, first-year graduate student

More than 50 practitioners and students attended the symposium that featured sessions on autism, childhood apraxia of speech and providing feedback during clinical supervision of students.