Aspiring speech-language pathologist among Calhoun grads

May 14—An aspiring speech-language pathologist driven by a desire to help others is among Calhoun's class of 2021 celebrating graduation today.

Delanie Compton, of Moulton, was selected by faculty and staff as a top 10 student at Calhoun Community College this year. A student in the honors program, she became interested in speech-language pathology because she said the field is "like grammar and science mixed together."

"I was looking at medical pathology before that, looking at bodies after they've died and how the disease has taken over their body, but then I realized real quick that wasn't for me," she said.

Calhoun's commencement will take place today through a virtual ceremony at noon, honoring Compton and as many as 800 eligible graduates in the class of 2021. The college's nursing program will also host its annual candlelighting ceremony virtually from 10-11 a.m.

Both events will be limited to participating graduates and faculty but will be available to watch live on Calhoun's YouTube and Facebook pages.

Compton, who will continue working toward a degree at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa in the fall, said she likes the diverse aspects of her chosen field. Speech-language pathologists assist people with speech impediments such as stuttering, but they also can be part of a medical team working with stroke victims to help with both speech and problems with swallowing.

While Compton knows a speech-language pathologist at her place of worship, Mountain View Baptist Church, she said much of her drive to prepare for the career has come from within. As part of her studies, Compton has job-shadowed clinicians at Huntsville Hospital and F.E. Burleson Elementary School in Hartselle to become more familiar with the different settings in which speech-language pathologists work.

"I think whenever I get out of college, I want to go more toward the hospital side because I like the fast pace, but I think whenever I start settling down and possibly having a family, swapping over to the school might be more ideal," Compton said.

Compton said she would enjoy helping children who have speech impediments improve their conditions. She said she also could imagine working in nursing homes and with the elderly.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Compton saw much of her last academic year at Calhoun held online through virtual learning save for one class in the spring. She said she found it demanding to stay on top of assignments but she knew it had paid off when she saw her name on the top 10 list.

"I was in my fourth foreign language, so it's kind of hard to learn a foreign language when you can't talk to people as much," Compton said. "I believed I had the ability to win (top 10), I just had to go for it, so I was very happy with the results."

Calhoun faculty and staff select the top 10 students, based on factors such as leadership ability and academic excellence, from applicants who have at least a 3.7 grade-point average. Compton is graduating with a 4.0 GPA.

For Compton, graduating from Calhoun is bittersweet. While she said she looks forward to beginning classes at the University of Alabama this fall, she will miss the closeness of instructors and classmates she experienced as part of Calhoun's honors program.

"I feel like I got to know several instructors on a personal level, so I'll miss that because I know whenever you go to a four-year (university) it's hard to get to know people like that," Compton said.

— tim.nail@decaturdaily.com or (256) 340-2437. Twitter @timmnail