SAA Student Scholarship Spotlight: Kayla Murphy

Kayla Murphy is a third-year audiology student at Auburn University and a recipient of the 2018-2019 Continued Achievement Scholarship. We asked Kayla a few questions to get to know her and her thoughts about the profession.

What inspired you to go into Audiology?

My mom is a bilateral cochlear implant recipient and has been a huge motivating factor in my decision to become an audiologist. I LOVE that I get to work in a health profession that also allows me to develop a strong relationship with my patients, and audiology is so versatile that I could never get bored!

If you could go back to your first day of grad school, what would you tell yourself?

Just do your best. Perfection isn’t possible, and making mistakes today will make you a better student, clinician, and overall person tomorrow!

What has been your favorite audiology-related memory so far?

My cohort at Auburn is extremely close and we have a running list of hilarious moments that have happened in class/clinic over the past two years. Anything on that list is guaranteed to make me burst out laughing, and knowing we’re all separating for 4th year has made me appreciate the funny little moments that gotten us all through grad school.

What does patient-centered care mean to you?

Patient-centered care to me means recognizing that my patients and I may have different lifestyles, opinions or values, but I am their audiologist first and foremost. It’s my job to provide them with my expertise as well as to deliver the support and counseling they need to succeed in life with their hearing loss. Offering support and recognizing that this journey is not always an easy one is vital to their happiness and proper patient care.

What advice do you have for undergrads interested in audiology?

Get involved in anything and everything! There are so many different avenues of audiology, and you’ll never get to experience them if you don’t put yourself out there.

If you had to eat one meal everyday for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Chicken fingers, likely from the ’12 & Under’ menu.

What is your favorite Emoji?

*facepalm* (mostly for how relevant it is to grad school)

You have to sing karaoke, what song would you choose?

“Dancing Queen” by ABBA

The Continued Achievement Scholarship is awarded to two (2) students who show exceptional promise in providing outstanding patient care as a clinical audiologists and is generouslly underwritten by AudiologyOnline. The application for the 2019-2020 scholarships will be made available on the SAA website in early Spring.