SLP Students Host Field Day for Smiles
The field day was an opportunity for speech-language pathology students to support a charitable organization and engage with their peers.
New York Medical College (NYMC) students gathered for a day full of fun outdoor activities in support of a worthy cause on October 24. The NYMC chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) hosted Field Day for Smiles to raise money for Smile Train, a charity organization providing reconstructive surgeries for children with cleft lips and palates.
More than 30 students participated in the event outside of the Alumni House, raising $350 for Smile Train. Students enjoyed a multitude of activities, such as cornhole, relay races and tug-of-war. The field day also included a campus-wide scavenger hunt that included clues and challenges such as brainteasers and making videos for social media.
“We wanted to organize this fundraiser as a way to support a cause that aligns significantly with our career paths as speech-language pathologists, as well as create time for our students to come together in person,” said Marissa Mann, speech-language pathology (SLP) Class of 2022 and president of the chapter.
The students were able to not only contribute to charitable work, but were able to meet in person, which has been less common amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “Since the pandemic, I have rarely met my classmates in person, much less hang out with them outside of school hours, but with this event we were able to do so,” Ms. Mann said. “We're looking forward to creating more opportunities like this in the NYMC community in the future.”
