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Northeastern University Outstanding Master’s Student Award in Leadership recipient Samihah Khan (MSSLP ’26) helped to establish peer mentorship, organize professional development events, and strengthen communication between students and faculty at the Charlotte campus, especially in her speech-language pathology program. 

Before attending Northeastern, Khan grew up in New Jersey and studied criminology at the College of New Jersey. Although she originally planned on law school, she changed her mind in her final year and surveyed her friends on their career choices.

“A friend doing speech pathology explained what it was, and I absolutely loved that you could work with so many age groups and within so many environments,” Khan explained. “I met a lot of speech therapists, and they all said how this was a great career.”

Part of Northeastern’s appeal was the faculty’s active help with getting clinical hours. At orientations, professors emphasized the focus on student experience and leading with empathy and ethics. Khan was accepted to the Boston campus, but after encouragement from her parents to try a different climate, she transferred to Charlotte.

“The weather and campus are beautiful in Charlotte,” Khan said. “I’m always on campus because I love being here. The faculty have high expectations but without intimidation or ego; it’s a safe space where I can ask questions and have conversations.”

Before arriving in Charlotte, Khan’s grandfather suffered a stroke and was diagnosed with aphasia, which became an interest for her. Aphasia is a language disorder that affects a person’s ability to speak and understand what others say. Speech-language pathologists help patients build or rebuild an understanding of language and teaches skills to adapt to specific symptoms.

“We have a focus group for aphasia patients at the clinic,” she said. “I participated and talked to a lot of patients. One of the first clients I had was one with aphasia, and I still see her on campus.”

In addition to her clinical work, Khan’s research project explored the connection of language disorders with the prison pipeline, bridging her undergraduate background in criminology with graduate speech pathology. She presented her work at the American Speech Language Hearing Association’s convention. 

Khan’s contributions to the field extends to her peers on campus. She joined the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association and became the campus chapter’s president.

“When I came to Northeastern, I didn’t think I’d have time for a leadership position,” Khan said. “I knew I wanted a peer who could advise and encourage me; as a new cohort, we wanted students we could go to. I decided if I wanted this, then I should try to implement it myself. I can also be the leader that I’m seeking.”

As president of the NUSSLHA chapter, Khan created a mentor-mentee program to help keep new students from feeling overwhelmed. The program pairs first year students with a second year before they arrive on campus, which provides them with a source of advice from day one and fosters early friendships.

Charlotte Assistant Dean and Campus Administrator Thomas Mastro sees Khan as an exemplar of the SLP program and the ideal Husky: someone who demonstrates excellence, compassion, and a commitment to uplifting those around them.

“She transformed NSSLHA into a vibrant community where students feel valued, connected, and supported throughout their graduate studies,” Mastro said. “She served as a communication bridge between students, faculty and staff, bringing student perspectives to leadership while helping peers navigate their program and the campus.”

Khan’s commitments to peer leadership and community building were a key part of her being awarded the 2026 Outstanding Master’s Student Award in Leadership.

“This is such an honor,” Khan said of the award. “Before NUSSLHA, I’d never been in a leadership position because I would always put myself down and think I didn’t have those abilities. Receiving the award represents that leadership isn’t a loud, big thing; it can present as compassion, community, and leading with your heart. Even something as simple as seeing someone left out and bringing them in. I want this award to show that creating belonging is what really matters.”

Next steps for Khan and others in her cohort include applying for their yearlong clinical fellowships. She’s hoping to find one that focuses on pediatric feeding, a subject she explored in a summer class.

“Pediatric feeding deals with babies who are medically complex and helps with feeding and swallowing to wean them off tubes and onto solid food and traditional food,” Khan explained.

Khan will leave behind a strong infrastructure for future students in her program and a legacy of peer support.

“Samihah has genuinely helped to shape the culture and community of our SLP program in ways that will benefit future cohorts long after she graduates,” Mastro said. “I have no doubt she will continue making significant contributions to the speech-language pathology profession and the communities she serves.”

Northeastern University’s SLP program is accredited by The Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. If you’re interested in enrolling, or learning more about the program click here.