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Kelly Crowther has turned every opportunity into personal growth since becoming a graduate student at Northeastern University’s Charlotte campus.

She said that getting into the inaugural Charlotte cohort for the new Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology last fall was the culmination of a three-year quest.

“It was a challenging few years,” she said, and it wasn’t clear if her graduate school dream would come true. After completing her undergraduate degree at University of Alabama, she was rejected from graduate schools, even with years of hands-on experience as an SLP assistant. “I was consistently told I wasn’t good enough,” she said.

Speech-language graduate degree programs, she said, are often considered as competitive as medical school. Crowther’s academic credentials had reflected the challenges she faced as an undergrad who didn’t fully understand the sacrifices needed to find her way in college. “You think you have everything figured out,” she said, “but I didn’t know who I wanted to be or how to find my way in the world at that time.”

She was close to giving up when she got into the new SLP master’s program at Northeastern University Charlotte, which will graduate its first class in 2026. “From the second I was accepted, they showed me how valuable I was,” she said, not just as a student, but as a person.

Crowther was surprised to learn that she was the 2025 recipient of Northeastern’s Outstanding Network Student Award for the Charlotte campus. It’s given to those who display leadership, foster inclusivity and engagement in their program and advance their field through service and advocacy. “It feels really good,” she said of the award. “Seeing my hard work pay off makes me feel that this is where I’m meant to be. I’m proud of the work I’ve done and proud of what this program has made me.”

She is happy to give back to the program that showed such confidence in her. “I’m so eager to lay the foundation for what is already a prestigious program.” She said she actively participates in the classroom and has since Day 1. “People are probably sick of me talking,” she said, “but I’m fascinated by what I’m learning and how relevant it is to what I do.” She chose this field because she wanted to work with people and make a direct impact on their lives.

She said everyone in her 24-member cohort is the best of friends, something she feels will serve them well as professionals. “Working together is a big part of our career,” she said. She strives to make sure everyone feels valued and respected in the classroom, where they don’t hesitate to discuss tough things, she said. In a similar vein, she’ll often be the one to start a text thread suggesting a study session.

Crowther also loves helping with events outside the classroom, which fits in perfectly with her role as historian for the school’s branch of the National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association, a student group with chapters at the graduate and undergraduate level.

Her job entails heading up social media, hosting events and reaching out to the community. “Event planning has been a wonderful way to have a leadership role and get involved,” she said. For Black History Month, the group planned a “Poetry and Potluck,” honoring poet and writer Nikki Giovanni and other black artists. She also recruited students to help host a Brain Talk Day event in the fall with Dr. Kelli Uitenham, CCC-SLP, to educate families and other professionals about brain health as it relates to sports injuries and concussions.

Northeastern emphasizes collaboration among allied professionals, so it was satisfying for her to organize a recent hearing screening clinic for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing students on campus. That was a great chance for Crowther and her cohort members to demonstrate their expertise to future nursing colleagues and explain how their clinical roles can complement each other.

For Crowther, the award represents a culmination of all the things she’s passionate about. “Maybe down the line, I would think about coming back and working in higher education,” she said, after working first as a clinician. Her teachers have inspired her, and she would like to inspire others the same way. Professors in her program are breaking down barriers that often stand in the way of student success, she said, rejecting a culture of negativity or superiority.

“They don’t call us students, they say ‘future colleagues.’”