Hi, I’m Hannah ?
I grew up in Perth then eventually moved to Melbourne to study my Masters of Speech Pathology and have lived here ever since. There are so many fun things to do and see in Melbourne, not to mention the incredible food scene, but I certainly miss the beaches of Perth!
I initially studied a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and Italian and found myself looking for a hands-on and practical way to apply this learning. I love getting to know new people and working face-to-face rather than alone at a desk, so speech pathology was the perfect fit for me.
I got my first job as a speech pathologist down in Hobart working in public primary schools and providing a huge range of different services. It was a great way to try out lots of different practice areas. In my next role, I worked in a special school for students with autism where I got to focus on some of my special interest areas, including literacy and AAC (ways of communicating other than speech, such as speech generating devices or picture symbols).
I love working as a speech pathologist because I get to work with language and communication every day, solving puzzles, and helping people become more confident and independent in the world. Communication is everything – it’s how we get close to the people that we love, it’s how we share our human experiences, it’s how we do humour… it’s very hard to build strong relationships or to be independent without it. Helping clients and families achieve their communication goals is a huge honour and a privilege.
I recently became a mum to a beautiful baby boy who is now a very active toddler that keeps me busy. When I’m not working or chasing my toddler around, I enjoy baking, singing, and roller skating. My mother is a chef so I also love a good meal, and Melbourne is full of culinary surprises around every corner!