NSSLHA Chapter Spotlight: Western Illinois University Chapter

NSSLHA Chapter Spotlight: Western Illinois University Chapter

Published in the September 2025 issue of the ISHA Voice. 

By Marissa Kile, Student Involvement Committee Chapter

Western Illinois University’s NSSLHA chapter is staying busy already this fall! Their objectives this year are to encourage professional interest and awareness of the study of speech-language pathology and audiology, to provide social interaction and fellowship among students, clients, and the community, and to assist university departments and local organizations. ISHA’s Student Involvement Committee chairperson, Marissa Kile, spoke with Western Illinois University’s NSSLHA E-Board Member, Kylie Kinser, to learn more about their campus organization and their initiatives for this school year.

Kylie Kinser reports that their NSSLHA chapter “strives to support their clients and clinicians through donating needed speech materials, money, and throwing interactive themed parties. In addition, we opened a lotus stand as a fun and tasty way to make our department floor more enjoyable. Lastly, one of our biggest accomplishments this past year is we are starting our Senior Fund. Our senior fund was created to help support our seniors with clinic fees and acquire more clinic attire. While our NSSLHA chapter works to organize our own events, we also find outreach important and support other events on WIU’s campus and the community of Macomb. These include volunteering at the Elm’s which is a long-term care facility, helping with a children’s mall around Christmas time, and attending on campus events such as suicide prevention walks and Take Back the Night, an event to support sexual assault survivors. Anywhere we can, we work to lend a hand!”

Western Illinois University's NSSLHA chapter finds it important to be involved for various reasons. NSSLHA is a great way to bridge the gap between being a student and entering into the professional world from NSSHLA to IHSA/ASHA. Furthermore, it grows the SLP networking community in Illinois by allowing us to share ideas with others, learn from each other, and create initial career skills with future and present SLP’s. This kind of exposure only boosts the SLP front as a whole and aids in personal and career growth/ development. Lastly, NSSLHA gives us the opportunity to promote our university and the hard work of all our professors and students. 

Thank you, Western Illinois University’s NSSLHA chapter for sharing all of your awesome updates!