President's Initiative 2025: Impact
What is Impact?
An initiative of 2025 ASHA Board President Bernadette Mayfield-Clarke, Impact is a campaign that celebrates and values the integral role members play in the communication sciences and disorders (CSD) professions. You are the transformative change agents who are making a significant impact in your community and profession.
Share Your Stories of Transformative Impact.
Be a part of this impactful campaign. Your story could inspire others and contribute to the innovative work that is currently being done in the CSD discipline.
Smiles for Speech
Sandy Dorsey, MA, CCC-SLP
Sandy Dorsey, MA, CCC-SLP, is making an Impact as founder of Smiles for Speech, Inc., a non-profit organization that since 2017 has offered therapeutic services, education, training, and parental resources collaborating with fellow inter-professional colleagues to expand access to care in Ghana and beyond. Project Ghana, a collaborative effort, launched in 2019, has offered support to the growth of the speech therapy profession across five regions in Ghana, with a concentration in Accra. In July 2025, Smiles for Speech will open the doors to the Smiles for Speech Early Learning Center in Northern Ghana during their 5th mission trip to Ghana. This center will address the critical need for increased awareness of disabilities and therapeutic services in a region that currently has only one speech-language pathologist. Smiles for Speech is not only empowering children and families through its comprehensive services but is also nurturing the next generation of speech therapy professionals. By offering mentorship and workshops, the organization is fostering the growth of both U.S.-trained and international speech and occupational therapy students, ensuring a brighter future for speech therapy worldwide.
We're highlighting members—individuals and teams—who are pushing boundaries to make a lasting impact in communication sciences and disorders. Over the years, I've seen firsthand the incredible strides we've made—from breakthroughs in technology to innovative educational approaches that are changing lives. Whether you're a change agent pioneering new technologies like AI, advancing implementation science, or developing innovative curricula that reshape education, we want to hear your story.
