Graduate Student Award Winners in Communication Sciences and Disorders

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The 2022 honored graduate students are Cindy Landeros (left) receiving the Emerging Excellence Award, Melissa Leffel (center) for the Outstanding Clinician Award and Sydnie Morgan (right) with the Outstanding Student Award.

Each spring, the university's Communication Sciences and Disorders Program faculty recognize three of the program's exceptional graduate students. The three awards represent three separate achievements, and all will be recognized at an upcoming celebration.

One award recognizes a first-year graduate student who demonstrates "Emerging Excellence" as a future speech-language pathologist. This recognition was awarded to Cindy Landeros. CDIS Clinical Education Coordinator Jessica Danley commented, "Cindy consistently demonstrates professionalism, preparedness and a strong sense of clinical intuition. She shows an impressive ability to personally connect with her patients and build strong therapeutic relationships."  

Another award recognizes a second-year graduate student who has demonstrated themselves to be an "Outstanding Clinician" during their time in the program. This recognition was awarded to Melissa Leffel. "Melissa is a detail-oriented student clinician who takes initiative to further her learning at every opportunity. She asks critical questions and takes the time to think through challenging clinical cases. Melissa's supervisors consistently share high praise regarding her effective communication skills and ability to formulate clear treatment plans for her patients," shared Jessica Danley. 

The final award recognizes a second-year graduate student who has proven to be an "Outstanding Student" in the classroom and in clinical practice. This is the highest accolade provided by the CDIS program. This recognition was awarded to Sydnie Morgan. "Sydnie is an inquisitive student who goes above and beyond to serve her patient caseload. Sydnie is always prepared. She remains flexible and adaptable in challenging situations, both of which are valuable skills in this dynamic healthcare climate. Sydnie's calm and empathetic demeanor sets her patients at ease, and she is a pleasure to work with," commented a clinical supervisor. 

"The future of the profession is bright with students like Cindy, Melissa and Sydnie soon joining our professionals ranks. We could not be prouder of these students and are grateful they decided to pursue their graduate education with us," commented CDIS Program Director Rachel Glade.