Moeur Award winner, Health Solutions grad finds calling in children's speech-language therapy
ASU grad Caitlin Yakubov and her brother. Courtesy photo
Editor's note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable fall 2024 graduates.
As a young girl, Caitlin Yakubov watched her younger brother go through speech-language therapy. Then, years later, when looking for a school to apply to, she found the speech and hearing science program at Arizona State University's College of Health Solutions.
“I remember my brother would come home every day talking about how much fun he had in speech therapy,” Yakubov said. “I got to witness his confidence grow and his speech improve. When I started researching more about the field, I fell in love with it.”
Coming to ASU in 2021 with a passion for helping people, Yakubov always put her focus on school, and for her efforts, she was awarded the Moeur Award for all college credits received at ASU while maintaining a perfect 4.00 GPA.
“I always put homework, studying and anything else school-related first,” Yakubov said. “I get that done before anything else. I put everything into getting good grades, and I think it paid off.
Yakubov also interned at Tribecca Speech Therapy, where her love for working with kids only grew. She loves watching them get better, even with a short 30-minute session.
“Seeing these kids have fun and enjoy their lessons is really rewarding. It's just an overall rewarding experience because you see them improve,” Yakubov said.
In the below Q&A, she talks more about her experience at ASU and her plans after graduation.
Note: Answers have been edited lightly for length and/or clarity.
Question: What was your “aha” moment when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?
Answer: I always knew that I wanted to work in pediatrics. In high school, I wanted to be a pediatrician. Then later I realized the medical field wasn't really for me. Then I thought about being a teacher too, but that didn't really work out. Once my mom suggested speech therapy, it just clicked.
Q: Why did you choose ASU?
A: That's a funny story. In high school, I didn't apply to ASU. Then, I got an email from them about this scholarship, which I was surprised by because I hadn't even applied yet. Then I looked into the scholarship and it was a really good scholarship.
I ended up researching more about ASU and its programs, and I discovered that they had a speech and hearing science program. It was just exactly what I was looking for. I ended up accepting the scholarship and applying to ASU.
Q: What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you or changed your perspective?
A: I learned a lot about friendships and community and the social aspect of it. I'm an introvert and I've always struggled with meeting new people and making friends. But, at ASU, I've learned that it's not as intimidating as it seems.
I feel like I've had a lot of opportunities at ASU to interact with and make meaningful connections with my peers and my professors. That has been the best part of my college experience — coming out of my shell and being able to interact with people.
Q: Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU?
A: Mollie Harding talked about the importance of prioritizing things, and it was in relation to aural rehab and how in order for someone to receive benefits from oral rehab, they have to prioritize it. Then she just kind of went off on a tangent and made it about life — in life, you have to prioritize everything. It stuck with me because I feel like I've always prioritized school above everything else, and I think it's important to put those things first that mean the most to you.
Q: What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?
A: There's a computer lab in Coor Hall, and that's where I spent the most amount of time.
It's quiet, there are comfy chairs and air conditioning. It's a great little place to study and do homework in between classes.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?
A: My best advice for students is to do your best and just be patient. College can be very overwhelming with managing school, work and personal life. I think it's important to keep pushing through and always put in your best effort and stay patient. It's also important to reach out to your professors if you need anything.
Q: What are your plans after graduation?
A: Right now, after this graduation, I want to get my SLPA (Speech Language Pathologist Assistant Certification) license, and I plan to work as a speech-language pathologist until grad school. Hopefully, I get into ASU's master's program. That's the plan, and then after that, I'm not really sure exactly where I want to work.
Q: If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle?
A: I would put that $40 million toward health care, for sure. I think we've come a long way in medical advancements, and it's amazing to see what we're able to do now. But how can we save so many more lives? I think there's definitely more to be discovered and more that we can do.
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