10/15/2026
When I arrived at SEMO in 2024, we did not have a good way to monitor the vocal health of our students or provide them with resources when they ran into trouble. I'm so thankful Sarah Sargent from the Department of Speech and Hearing was excited about the idea of collaborating with me. The Voice Clinic was up and running by 2025 and has served so many students already. Not only is it available if a student runs into trouble, but all of our freshman have the opportunity to visit and have a complete voice evaluation, including a vocal scope. As part of a vocal health initiative, they are learning about caring for themselves as vocal athletes and we are destigmatizing vocal injury in professional singers. In 2027, our music department vocal performance students will join us for evaluations, as well. The grad students in the Speech and Hearing Department perform the evaluations and it's a wonderful multi-departmental experiential learning opportunity. It's exciting to see an idea come to life in a short time with supportive colleagues!
