Empowering Your SAA Chapter: Opportunities Every Advisor Should Share

By Sarah McAlexander, AuD

Student Resources

As an advisor for an SAA chapter, your students may turn to you for more information on the benefits of being a member of national Student Academy of Audiology (SAA). National SAA offers a variety of resources to students to help develop their career and set them up for success as future audiologists. Advisors can help make their students aware of the variety of resources available to national SAA members by encouraging them to take advantage of various opportunities, including AAA Foundation scholarships, volunteer roles within national SAA, and future mentorship opportunities.

Scholarships

The American Academy of Audiology Foundation (AAA Foundation) offers a variety of scholarships for national SAA members. These scholarship opportunities provide crucial funding for students to help support their continued audiology education. Scholarships are available for a variety of specializations and interests, highlighting exceptional students for their hard work in various settings. For example, the Amit Gosalia Scholarship in Private Practice rewards students with interest in pursuing a career in private practice, the Jerry Northern Scholarship in Pediatric Audiology celebrates students with an interest in pediatric audiology, and the Empowering Students Scholarship recognizes students showing exceptional clinical promise. Additional information on available scholarships, as well as instructions to apply, can be found on the AAA Foundation website.

In addition to helping ensure eligible students are aware of possible scholarship opportunities, advisors can help students put together a competitive application. All scholarships require a recommendation rubric completed by a professor or clinical supervisor. Assist students by identifying appropriate recommenders or volunteer to act as a reference. Advisors can also help provide resources for creating personal statements and resumes, including the Academy’s Resume Review Service.

Volunteer Opportunities

One benefit of national SAA membership is the opportunity to volunteer for various SAA committees and projects. Volunteer opportunities may include creating blogs or social media posts for national SAA communication platforms, planning educational sessions at the AAA Annual Convention, planning virtual educational programming, creating resources for chapters and members, and more. These volunteer opportunities allow students to connect with other students across the country, meet and network with audiologists, and develop skills that will help them succeed in their future career. Advisors can encourage students to apply for volunteer opportunities and help them identify their areas of interest.

Volunteer opportunities for the 2026-2027 term will open up this spring – keep an eye out for more information on applying!

Mentorship Programs

The Academy and the national SAA are currently piloting a new year-long mentorship program that paired students and audiologists based on interests. The program is designed as an opportunity for students to build relationships with audiologists outside of their university or clinical placements and ask questions regarding next steps in their career among other topics. While this year’s mentorship program is currently underway and is not accepting new applicants, more information about future mentorship opportunities will become available in the future.