Calvin Speech Grad Earns Leadership Fellowship

Basic information

  • Sent: February 1, 2017
  • Expires: February 1, 2019

One Calvin Grad is living out the mission to think deeply, to act justly, and to live wholeheartedly by earning a graduate fellowship focused on community leadership and service.

Rebecca Davis has always had a passion for serving others. That desire led her to volunteer locally – serving in homeless shelters and tutoring ESL students – and abroad, traveling to countries such as Cambodia and Thailand.

Developing Mission

As an undergrad, Rebecca’s desire to serve was nurtured at Calvin College, where her professors helped equip her to think deeply, to act justly, and to live wholeheartedly. Rebecca found a direction for her passion in the Speech Pathology & Audiology department, combining her mission to serve with the training to start a career as a medical speech pathologist. At Calvin, she took her service to a new level by organizing a group of students to volunteer at Mel Trotter Ministries. There she, along with the students she recruited, worked with children with the purpose of befriending them, but also encouraging their language development through intentional play, storytelling, and reading aloud.

Rebecca took every opportunity to learn and grow at Calvin; in her senior year, she participated in a mentoring scholarship, working specifically with SPAUD department chair Dr. Judy Vander Woude: “Meeting with Rebecca twice a month to discuss her career and humanitarian goals was a pleasure. I learned much from her as she shared her goals and her heart for service with me.”

Equipped to Lead

After graduating from Calvin with a BA in Speech Pathology in 2016, Rebecca entered graduate school at the University of Minnesota, where she became aware of a program called LEND: Leadership Education in Neurodevelomental and Related Disabilities.

The MN LEND program equips graduate and postgraduate students to take committed, community-based action in the areas of neurodevelopmental disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and other related disabilities.

This highly competitive program selects students for their outstanding skills and commitment to improving the quality of life for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. Rebecca knew this program would be a perfect fit for her combined desire to serve the community and her study of speech pathology. Rising above numerous candidates, Rebecca earned a pre-doctoral fellowship, which comes with an educational stipend that will allow her to take full advantage of the extra training and mentorship to strengthen her commitment to serving others in her speech pathology career.

Continuing a Life of Service

While studying at Calvin, Rebecca was able to take her passion for serving and volunteering and direct it to a calling as a medical speech pathologist. Rebecca credits Calvin with pushing her to this next level of training and serving: “Without a doubt, Calvin College equipped me with the confidence I now have to carry out my leadership skills and ideas in the LEND fellowship.” We look forward to seeing where God uses Rebecca next!

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