Abby M. Preston

Steven C. White Excellence Award

The Steven C. White Excellence Award is given to a speech-language pathology graduate student in recognition of service to the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.

This is a photo of Abby Preston. Abby is wearing a light green shirt with a black sweater. Abby has long brown hair.

I’m from Titusville, PA, and received my B.A. from Geneva College prior to pursuing my master’s here at Ithaca College. Through high school and undergrad, several incredible speech-language pathologists inspired me as I observed, took classes, and completed clinical hours alongside them. Their love for their profession and the people they serve made me increasingly excited to follow in their footsteps. Our professors at Ithaca College have prepared us to serve clients across environments for people of all ages, and have been amazing examples of what it means to be a caring and knowledgeable clinician. After graduation, I hope to use what I’ve learned at Ithaca College in a pediatric outpatient or educational setting.

My favorite clinical experience has been my full-time externship with a pediatric clinic. I’ve had the opportunity to work with families in their own homes through the early intervention program, and with children of different ages, severities, and diagnoses in the clinic. Balancing therapy sessions, documentation, evaluations, travel, and interprofessional collaboration has allowed me to experience the workload of a full-time speech-language pathologist. My externship has demonstrated that the knowledge and skills I’ve learned at Ithaca College have prepared me well for a career as a speech-language pathologist.

Academic Achievements and Personal Highlights

  • Dean’s List
  • James J. Whalen Academic Symposium, poster (2019)
  • Accepted Presentation, American Speech-Language Hearing Association Convention (2019)
  • Accepted Presentation, International Conference on English Pronunciation: Issues and Practices (2019)
  • Graduate Assistant to Dr. Luanne Andersson
  • Assistant to Department of Speech-Language Pathology during ASHA reaccreditation
  • Full-time clinical externship, Positive Steps Therapy, Pittsburgh, PA