20 Years Later: Former Little Lukes Student Returns as an SLP

“When I was in preschool, I wanted to be a baseball player or a movie director when I grew up. I was a very ambitious 3-year-old!” In 2002, Nick was a determined kid attending preschool classes in the Orange Octopus room at Oswego Little Lukes.

 

Now in his early 20’s, Nick recently graduated with a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University at Buffalo. “Nick was always very school ready! He was very friendly and had a big imagination,” reflects Darci Powers, then Little Lukes Oswego Center Director, “definitely a memorable child!”

 

Over the years Nick decided he no longer wanted to pursue a career as a baseball player or a movie director and turned his goals and aspirations towards a career just as ambitious, a career in Speech Language Pathology. “I chose to be an SLP because I always wanted a career where I could help people,” Nick told us. Even during his time at Little Lukes as a preschooler, he always found it rewarding to help others and, Nick says, that feeling has continued to stay with him as he entered college and began his career.

 

From New Graduate to New SLP at Little Lukes

 

In May of 2023 we were ecstatic when Nick reached out about a speech pathology opportunity at Little Lukes. “As soon as Nick’s application popped up in my email, I was so excited. I now work as the hiring manager for therapy staff at Little Lukes, but in 2002 I was the Center Director at Little Lukes Oswego where Nick attended preschool,” says Darci, “it’s always so rewarding catching up with my former students.”

 

“I wanted to come back and work at Little Lukes because I only had fond memories from my time here,” says Nick. Even though Nick was already familiar with Little Lukes, Darci set up a tour so he could see the program from a Speech Pathologist’s point of view. “Little Lukes has a great SLP team that made me feel welcome.” As a new graduate, Nick needed to complete his Clinical Fellowship Year (CFY) and decided to pursue his CFY at his old stomping grounds. “I am very fortunate that Little Lukes has a great program for CFYs.”

 

Nick’s Favorite Aspect of Being a Little Lukes Speech Language Pathologist

 

Fast forward a couple months after Nick accepted a position at Little Lukes, we caught up with him to see how he’s loving his new career. “My favorite part of being an SLP is seeing the progress my kids make while working with them.” From his years earning his undergraduate degree from Nazareth University and his graduate degree from University at Buffalo, he always found it exciting to see people achieve their goals and to see the joy on their faces. “It shows me how much work they’ve put into their goals and how much they care about achieving them.”

 

As a team of teachers and caregivers who love each and every student, we always have to ask, “what’s your favorite memory from your time at Little Lukes?” Nick answered, “one of my favorite memories from my time at Little Lukes was making green eggs and ham. I loved it whenever books were read to us, and Dr. Seuss was one of my favorite authors.”

 

Pediatric Speech Language Pathologists are always looking for creative activities to incorporate and help children get excited for their speech therapy session. Today you just might catch Nick reading Dr. Seuss or even making green eggs and ham with students of his own.

 

How to Become a Little Lukes Pediatric SLP

 

Little Lukes is on a mission to build a bright future for every child by bringing extraordinary special education and therapy services to children in need. When you join Little Lukes, you're joining a team that has an unstoppable drive to change the lives of families across Central New York. We're a team of thoughtful Special Education Teachers, expert Speech Language Pathologists, and experienced Physical and Occupational Therapists. Above all, we're committed to helping each other succeed, learn, and grow—all while bringing care to families of children with special needs. No matter what you're looking for in your next role, we're confident that you'll find it at Little Lukes!

 

Become a Little Lukes Speech Language Pathologist CFY today by emailing your resume Darci Powers at dpowers@littlelukes.com We can’t wait to meet you!