“I would hope that the students who were here would help with the shortage of Speech Language Pathologists,” Speech Pathologist instructor Ellen Horvath said during an orientation to 30 students at the Health Occupation Skills Lab on Saturday.

Speech Language Pathology is a program that was implemented at Cerritos College in the fall of 2000 to help evaluate, diagnose and treat children and adults with various communication disorders.

For Horvath, the most important thing was letting students know that there is a great demand for speech language pathology because it is a program designed not only for communication disorders, but also to help an individual one by one.

“One of the most frequently asked questions is, how long does it takes to complete a program such as the speech language pathology course,” Horvath said, “and I would say the most, two years.”

In addition, graduates will have opportunities to work in public schools among children who aren’t able to speak as well as in private practice, according to Horvath.

Furthermore, she said that sign language courses were also important because if someone is dealing with a deaf person and has trouble communicating, having that sign language course would be a benefit to treatment because you as the pathologist would know what to do.

Students said that after hearing the orientation about speech language they were interested in not only knowing about the course, but thought that this would be a rewarding career because it would help people who have speech difficulties.

“The speech language pathology is in demand,” Michael Cohen, communication major, said, “but after listening to what Horvath had to say about the program I might change my major.”

He said the reason why he would change his major is because one of his nephews has a speech disorder, “And besides, it would be a good way to help other people.”

Maili Collosi, and Darlene Synder, who will be attending Cerritos, agreed.

Synder said that she currently works as a speech language pathologist in the El Rancho School District, but she said that as she plans to go back to school, the speech gave her motivation to continue in her line of work.

“My niece is an autistic child,” she said, “and I also have two sons who are receiving therapy for speech so this only makes me not only want to be successful, but also reach out to those people who need help.”

Collosi also thought that reaching out was important but there was something else to it.

“There is a great need and now that I heard about what the program is about, I will feel that I have accomplished something because it will benefit others.”

Speech instructor at Cerritos since 1989, Horvath said that speech pathology is of interest because it will make a difference one person at a time.

Afterward, Horvath said that after seeing interest among the students, she was ecstatic that they would consider a career within the field and excited that each would make a positive change in someone’s life.