Jairus Joaquin Matthews, MA, CCC-SLP

EBS Healthcare

MA, August 2006, Miami University
BA, August 2004, Tennessee State University

When I was a freshman at Tennessee State University, I met a friend by the name of Ashia Taylor. When discussing our majors, she told me she was majoring in speech pathology. I automatically assumed that she was going to work with kids who had trouble saying sounds. She instead told me that there was so much more to the field and that she wanted to work with adults with strokes who had trouble with their speech and swallowing. My curiosity was piqued as I was considering a new major. I had decided to major in education but was not really sure if that was what I wanted to do. I did my research, and within a month I changed my major.

One of my first and most influential mentors was Dr. Iris Johnson, one of my professors at TSU. Dr. Johnson pushed her students because she felt that was the way to bring out the best in us. I always felt like I had to rise to meet her challenge. Dr. Johnson worked with me personally, helping me apply to various programs and graduate schools. Similarly, my involvement in the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing (NBASLH) has provided me with many mentors who have done the same. What I appreciate so much about NBASLH is the emphasis on familial, communal values and mentoring.

I have come to have a sincere respect and appreciation for this field. What I like most about it is the diversity of areas that one can work in. I feel like there is something that everyone can be interested in. If you ever get tired of one area, you can simply diverge into something else. This field has afforded me so many opportunities, and I feel blessed to have a career where I can give back to people.