Feb. 26, 2020

Victoria (Tori) Specketer, MHS student in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, has been selected as the next Missouri Speech-Language Hearing Association (MSHA) graduate student board member. Specketer will start this executive board position on Aug. 1, 2021.

The graduate student board member advocates for speech-language pathology and audiology students in Missouri. Tori will communicate with the ten NSSLHA chapters from around the state about MSHA events and activities, including opportunities for students to participate at the state level.

“I am really looking forward to getting to know all of the MSHA Executive Board Members,” Specketer said. “I think this is going to be such a great experience!”

Specketer has been an active member of the Mizzou NSSLHA chapter since her sophomore year, and she served as vice president her senior year. One of her favorite memories of her time in Mizzou NSSLHA was working with Dana Fritz, SLHS clinical professor, to plan the annual Update Seminar. Specketer spoke at the event and introduced the guest speaker and assisted behind the scenes, coordinating student volunteers.

“I loved seeing the event come together,” Specketer said. “I really enjoyed meeting SLPs from all around the area.”

She also had the opportunity to attend Legislative Day in Jefferson City. She was a homework helper for the City of Refuge for two years through Mizzou NSSLHA and was a peer mentor throughout her senior year.

One of Specketer’s favorite courses was Developmental Language Disorders, taught by Elizabeth Kelley, SLHS assistant professor. She is interested in school-age literacy and is leaning toward becoming a school-based SLP.