Elizabeth Ashbaugh, a senior in the undergraduate program in communication disorders and a member of the U of A National Student Speech Language Hearing Association chapter, was appointed to serve as Arkansas' state student officer for the national organization.

The student state officer position requires close collaboration with the regional councilor in order to be a liaison between chapters, national NSSLHA members, and state speech-language-hearing associations. The student state officer also works to disperse information about National NSSLHA such as scholarship opportunities, NSSLHA activities, fundraising opportunities, and updates, such as newsletters and national NSSLHA publications. This is a year-long position and requires about 20 hours of work per month.

Ashbaugh was very honored to be chosen for this position and said: "I have been out in the workforce for quite a few years and have come to realize how important national organizations are to the professionals that they represent. The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association offers speech and audiology students the opportunity for free or highly discounted knowledge that greatly benefits us in our immediate and future careers as students, and later as professionals, through their parent organization, the American Speech Language Hearing Association. Additionally, students can reap many benefits of membership to NSSLHA, such as undergraduate and graduate scholarship opportunities and discounts to the yearly ASHA Convention. I applied to become NSSLHA's 2018-19 student state officer because I believe these benefits are important and I would like to share that belief with my fellow speech and audiology students throughout Arkansas."

Ashbaugh also expressed gratitude to Larry Aslin for writing a kind letter of support to recommend her for this position. Aslin spoke highly of Ashbaugh saying, "She is an excellent choice of a highly responsible undergraduate who will make an outstanding leader in both the public and private sectors."