Catching Up With Alumni | Taelor Smith (MA ALDS/17)
We recently caught up with Taelor Smith, who graduated with a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies in 2017.
As a graduate student in the School of Linguistics and Language Studies, Taelor completed the Practicum in Teaching English as a Second Language course and obtained TESL certification.
Taelor also wrote a research paper examining the role of formulaic language in the treatment of aphasia, for which she received the 2016-2017 School of Linguistics and Language Studies (SLaLS) Director’s Award for Outstanding Research Essay.
Learn more about what Taelor has been up to since graduating from Carleton University and how her experience in SLaLS helped shape her trajectory.
What Taelor Has Been Up To
After receiving her MA in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies, Taelor completed a Master of Health Science (MHSc) in Speech-Language Pathology at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.
Taelor returned to Canada in 2019 to practice as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), providing assessment and intervention services for adults with communication disorders and dysphagia.
“While my clinical work has continued, I have since transitioned to a full-time career within the federal government,” Taelor shares. “Currently, I am a Policy Analyst at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).”
“Prior to entering this stream, I was a Senior Leadership Development Advisor (Human Resources Branch) at CBSA. In that role, I was fortunate to become a certified Leader Character Practitioner through the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at Ivey Business School’s Leader Character Practitioner Certification Program.”
Taelor’s Experience in SLaLS
“Pursuing the MA in ALDS allowed me to build on the foundations of my undergraduate studies through exploration of the synergistic relationship between theoretical and applied linguistics, as well as their applications,” Taelor notes.
“My time at SLaLS proved to be instrumental in my continually evolving trajectory. The transferable skills I developed enable me to excel, and perform meaningful work, in any discipline or profession.”
Interested in learning more about our programs?
Visit our Programs and Course Offerings page to learn about the undergraduate and graduate programs that we offer here in the School of Linguistics and Language Studies.
Are you a SLaLS graduate?
We would love to know what you have been up to! Check out our Alumni page to meet our amazing graduates and to learn more about how to stay connected with the SLaLS community.