Meet Elena Smith, M.A., CCC-SLP! Elena is a UConn MA-SLP alumna, who owns her own private practice, Ivy Speech and Language, LLC in Stonington, CT. Elena was a kindergarten teacher before she decided to return to school to get her master’s degree in SLP. One of her coworkers mentioned that she should look into SLP because she was very analytical, loved working with kids, and enjoyed working with small groups of kids versus a whole class. As a teacher, she was responsible for so many different areas of development, but as an SLP she knew she would be able to focus on more specific areas of development related to speech and language!

Elena says that one of her favorite things about UConn’s MA-SLP program was how strong the clinical placements were. She also mentions that all of the training she received was invaluable – whether it was the research skills she took away, the 1:1 clinical supervision or the mentoring, it was all extremely helpful when she entered the field of SLP after graduation.

Elena says that the best part of owning a private practice is the job satisfaction. She mentions that sometimes you’ll work in a place where there are systems that make it hard to follow your own clinical judgment. At her private practice, she gets to stay true to what she feels is right, there are no competing priorities and she can be all-in with families!

When asked what advice or comments she would offer to current SLHS students, Elena says:
– Subscribe to as many resources as you can, such as ASHA’s magazine.
– Try out lots of different clinical settings, even after you graduate, to learn what you really like.
– As a clinician, constantly research things and stay up to date on the research in clinical areas that interest you.
– This is the best field ever!