AUM’s first MS-SLP graduates step forward to serve
Auburn University at Montgomery’s first online Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology graduates are preparing to turn their training, teamwork and passion for helping others into meaningful careers of service.
Launched in fall 2024, AUM’s MS-SLP program is designed to offer an innovative, intellectually engaging and student-centered learning environment that integrates academic and clinical training.
AUM MS-SLP graduate student Hannah Bell Russell, one of eight students in the program’s inaugural cohort, said the road to graduation required resilience, adaptability and a deep commitment to supporting one another. Russell and her cohort members will be among 700 students walking in the university’s spring commencement ceremonies on May 9 at the AUM Athletics Complex.
“Being part of a new program brought its challenges,” said Russell, who will graduate in the ceremony for the College of Nursing & Health Sciences at 10 a.m. “Our cohort didn’t have former students to turn to for advice. The strong bond within our cohort kept us going.”
Alongside Russell, AUM will award its first MS-SLP degrees to Olivia Ellis Mixon, Caitlin N. Grant, Amy Lee Horton, Shandria Yolanda Johnson, Theresa Pasha, Allyson Price Smith and Diamonel Smith-Manigault.
The 10-course program began with two weeks of intensive clinical training, setting the foundation for hands-on learning. Built on active learning principles, the program emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, self-analysis and research-based discovery.
That rigor often meant leaning on one another, Russell said.
“We stayed connected through group messages and Zoom calls,” she said. “We also had a couple of group members to start study groups. Encouraging each other, celebrating small wins or even just sharing something lighthearted kept us moving forward. We relied heavily on each other, and it brought us close. We also had strong support from our department leaders, who were always available for guidance.”
As she prepares to enter the workforce, Russell said her clinical experiences were especially transformative, helping her build confidence as a future clinician. One moment stands out — working with a child in therapy using feeding techniques and augmentative and alternative communication tools.
“There was genuine fun and connection in that session,” she said. “The child began building longer utterances after just a few modeled examples. I saw how meaningful interaction can accelerate learning. That moment confirmed I was on the right path.”
Her passion for the field developed during a career shift that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. After working as a journalist, Russell took a position as a receptionist at a pediatric speech and feeding therapy clinic, a move she describes as both risky and life-changing.
“That’s where I saw firsthand the difference speech-language pathologists make,” she said. “Watching children reach communication milestones and seeing parents experience those ‘aha moments’ made it clear this was what I wanted to do.”
After graduation, Russell will begin a required nine-month clinical fellowship at Uplift Feeding and Speech in Holtville, Alabama, where she will train under AUM alumna Jacey Morgan (’20), a licensed speech-language pathologist and the clinic’s owner and founder.
“I hope to leave an impact rooted in love and care,” Russell said. “Children remember the lessons taught by people who truly see and support them. I want to create a space where they feel safe to grow.”
As a member of the program’s first graduating class, Russell recognizes the legacy the first cohort is helping to establish.
“It has been an honor to be part of the first graduating cohort,” she said. “We’ve worked to set a standard that supports and prepares future students.”
Graduates of the program are prepared to pursue careers as speech-language pathologists, working to prevent, assess, diagnose and treat speech, language, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders in children and adults.
