Benjamin Wright, a senior in the undergraduate program in communication sciences and disorders and the volunteer coordinator of the University of Arkansas National Student Speech Language Hearing Association chapter, was appointed to serve as Arkansas' State Student Officer for the national NSSLHA organization for the 2020-2021 term.

The student state officer position requires close collaboration closely with the vice president of Student State Officers in their region (currently called, "Regional Councilor" or "RC"), to be a liaison between chapters, national NSSLHA members, and state speech-language-hearing associations. The student state officer 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.

Wright was honored to be chosen for this position and said: "As an undergraduate student, I've come to realize the importance of support, guidance, and networking for preparing for my professional career. I personally can attest that the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association at the University of Arkansas offers excellent information & resources outside of the classroom, so I became interested in connecting with the national organization. National NSSLHA offers unparalleled leadership opportunities, access to peer-reviewed academic journals via the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association, and scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate students studying speech-language pathology and audiology career paths to support students beginning their professional career. I applied for the 2020-2021 Arkansas SLP Student State Officer position because I think the support that National NSSLHA provides is key for speech & audiology pre-professionals and I want to share that support with speech and audiology students around the state of Arkansas."

Wright expressed gratitude to Fran Hagstrom, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders, for writing a kind letter of support to recommend him for the position. Hagstrom spoke highly of Wright saying, "Mr. Benjamin Wright is an individual who values service and gives due diligence to obligations associated with service. His open and supportive style of communication makes him a natural leader as well as a favorite team player."

The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association is the only national student organization for pre-professionals studying communication sciences and disorders recognized by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. NSSLHA supports more than 12,040 members and more than 320 chapters at colleges and universities nationwide.