Nicole Dukes

            A graduate from the class of 2010 at the University of Montevallo, licensed speech-language pathologist Nicole Dukes represents the wide range of experiences that a professional career can demand in a relatively short length of time. In the two years since she received her master’s degree, Dukes has “worked in three different states” and has “serviced four very different age groups (pre-k, elementary, secondary education, and geriatric),” and so the preparation she received through her graduate studies has been beneficial, if not vital, to her success in the field.

            What makes Dukes’s experience even more remarkable is the fact that when she first came to UM’s Communication Sciences and Disorders program she had a bachelor’s degree in another field, and thus she belonged to the select group of non-backgrounded students who are admitted into the cohort each year. But Dukes found the program “very welcoming,” and valued the personal student-to-teacher ratio that placed 20 people in a class with “4-5 clinical supervisors.” Additionally, Dukes was pleased to learn that her professors were approachable, helpful in answering questions, and “passionate about the courses that they taught.”

Describing the details of her professional preparation, Dukes observed that the classes were “very interactive” and that they progressively turned responsibilities over to students, allowing them to quickly become accustomed to externships, conferencing, and post-graduate employment. Aside from the important structuring of her classes, Dukes explained that she was well informed of the various “ups and downs of working with each population and age group” before ever selecting her practicum site. Finally, Dukes stated that by the time she graduated from UM, she felt ready and confident to enter her field.

No matter how near or far Dukes’s position has taken her geographically, she looks back to Montevallo as a foundational home for her education: “Without the preparation I received at UM, I doubt I would be so eager to challenge myself with constant change. For every challenging professional encounter, I can think of a class, client, professor, or clinical supervisor who helped make certain I would be well equipped for the task.”          

Currently, Ms. Dukes serves as a speech-language pathologist in the Ozark City School district where she assists with the individualized development of preschool, middle school, and high school students.