Binghamton celebrates first graduates of speech-language pathology master’s program
Pinning ceremony honors trailblazing cohort, marking their transition from students to clinicians
The Division of Speech and Language Pathology at Binghamton University’s Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences held a pinning ceremony for its inaugural cohort in the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MS-SLP) program on June 26 at Binghamton’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Johnson City, New York.
“This is a celebration of our first class of MS-SLP graduate students,” explained Clinical Assistant Professor Marisa Mooney. “While some students walked at Commencement a few weeks ago, many were unable to attend because they were still in an internship as part of our six-semester program. Now that everyone has completed all program requirements, we are hosting this event to celebrate their accomplishments and to pin them, marking the transition from student to professional clinician.”
Decker College’s MS-SLP Class of 2026 has 26 students who began the 54-credit program in 2024 and completed 64 weeks of clinical education, 400 hours of supervised experience, and more than 1,200 hours of on-campus instruction. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the Praxis Examination in Speech-Language Pathology, the national licensing exam for speech-language pathologists.
Families and friends of the graduating class, along with SLP division faculty and staff, attended the event to honor the students as they received their pins, which symbolize their commitment to helping others find their voices and improve their communication.
“You are the brave trailblazers who helped get this program off the ground,” Clinical Associate Professor Tina Caswell said. “You aren’t just a graduating class; you are the solid foundation on which future generations of SLP students will build.”
Caswell acknowledged the early mornings, late nights, clinical successes, unforeseen setbacks, and opportunities to discover hidden strengths that shaped the students’ experiences in the new program.
“Through that journey and your willingness to persevere when the path became challenging, you kept moving forward with your vision, your dream, and your goal of becoming a speech-language pathologist,” she said. “You made it through this journey with success, fortitude, patience, and grace, becoming the clinicians, advocates, and professionals you are today.”
“Your patients, clients, or students may never see the hours you spend behind the scenes planning lessons, analyzing data, or researching interventions. They may never fully understand the expertise that guided their care. But they will remember you,” Alessandra Antonacci, a student in this first cohort, told the audience. “They will remember how you celebrated their successes, supported them through challenges, and truly listened to them. They will remember how you made them feel seen, heard, and capable. And that is the magic of our profession that textbooks can’t teach.”
As a surprise for graduating students, SLP faculty purchased two maps — a U.S. map and a New York state map — for graduates to place a pin on to mark where their professional journey will begin. The maps will be displayed in the division’s clinic and updated annually to show the impact Decker SLP students are having across the state and throughout the nation.