Published on October 13, 2020 by Sara Roman  
Childs

Jori Childs, a third-year Doctor of Audiology student, has been selected as Alabama’s National Student Speech Language Hearing Association Audiology Student State Officer. This is the first time a student from Samford University’s Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders has been selected to hold a state office position.

The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association is the only national student organization for pre-professionals studying communication sciences and disorders that is recognized by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The student organization currently has more than 12,000 members and has chapters at more than 320 colleges and universities nationwide. 

In 2019, Childs was part of the Audiology Students American Speech-Language-Hearing Association cohort that was designed to engage audiology students. The experience allowed her to form mentor relationships and interact with audiology leaders who encouraged her to apply for the student state officer position.

“I was looking for ways to become more involved as a student. I am active in many organizations that are developed for early career professionals, but I wanted to find something that was intended for me as a student,” said Childs. 

As a state officer, Childs will work closely with the vice president of student state officers and collaborate with other student state officers from the southeast region. Together, they will identify and discuss areas of concern to National Student Speech Language Hearing Association members and provide guidance to the chapters in their region.

Photo of Jori Childs and patient

Her personal goal is to increase student involvement and encourage collaboration between National Student Speech Language Hearing Association chapters, state associations and the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association office staff. “I would like to see all Alabama chapters collaborate together on advocacy ideas and workshops,” she added.

Childs wants to become an audiologist because she feels that audiology is a rewarding profession that will allow her to create lasting relationships with her patients. “From identifying hearing loss in a small child, to monitoring hearing for a veteran or helping grandparents hear their grandchildren, the variety of work environments and interdisciplinary effort to help individuals with balance issues or other audiological problems is meaningful and greatly appeals to me,” she said.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.