Graduate students enrolled in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Program participate in practical clinical experiences in a variety of healthcare and educational settings across the state. This clinical training approach can only be implemented with the collaborations established with community partners located in Northwest Arkansas and other regions across and outside the state. Through these partnerships, highly experienced speech-language pathologists agree to serve as mentors to the Communication Sciences and Disorders students enrolled at the U of A.

Each year the program awards a community partner as the "Mentor of the Year." This award honors outstanding mentorship from one community partner. Students from the graduate program nominate mentors and vote for who they believe to be most deserving of the honor.

This year, Fayetteville Public School's Tamara Henschell has been named the "Mentor of the Year." Henschell is a knowledgeable speech-language pathologist and mentor, and U of A students have learned a great deal under her mentorship.

A previous graduate student clinician of Henschell's shared, "Mrs. Henschell works hard to create a safe and welcoming space for every student on her caseload. Her clients have fun and feel valued. They are motivated to work hard because they want to make her proud." Another student shared, "Mrs. Henschell dedicated time in her busy schedule to explain communication techniques for behavioral challenges and how to support students on an individualized basis." Another description of Mrs. Henschell included, "Mrs. Henschell is the ultimate student advocate. She will go above and beyond for her caseload. I've learned the importance of connecting with my clients and building rapport through her actions and demonstrations."

Congratulations to Tamara Henschell on being awarded the 2023 "Mentor of the Year" by the Communication Sciences and Disorders Program.