📌 Episode Summary:
In this episode of Bright Conversations, host Shontaye Glover-Jones sits down with Sophia Ermmarino, SLP graduate student and founder of The Speech Shelf, for an honest, eye-opening discussion about the financial realities of becoming—and being—a speech-language pathologist. From graduate school costs and unpaid internships to the pressure of buying materials and navigating early-career salaries, Sophia shares her lived experience and the inequities that pushed her to create a more affordable, accessible resource platform for SLPs.

This conversation shines a light on the need for financial transparency in our field, the hidden expectations placed on student clinicians, and the systems that create unnecessary barriers for those entering the profession. Sophia also shares her vision for a more equitable, community-supported future where high-quality therapy materials are accessible to everyone, regardless of budget.

👤 Guest Bio:
Sophia Ermmarino is a speech-language pathology graduate student and the founder of The Speech Shelf, a low-cost, unlimited-access therapy materials platform designed to support students, CFs, and school-based SLPs. Inspired by her own experiences navigating the financial challenges of graduate school and early career demands, Sophia is committed to increasing transparency, reducing inequity, and empowering the next generation of SLPs with accessible tools and resources.

🗣️ Topics We Cover in This Episode:

• Sophia’s path into the profession and her early experiences as an SLP student

• The real financial burden of becoming an SLP: tuition, unpaid placements, materials, and more

• The origin story of The Speech Shelf and the need it fills in the field

• How affordability and access impact student clinicians and early-career SLPs

• The “hidden curriculum” in SLP programs and why open conversations about money matter

• Practical ideas for building a more equitable and transparent future for SLPs

• Supporting the next generation through community-driven, budget-friendly solutions

📚 Learning Objectives: By listening to this episode, you’ll be able to:
✅ Describe the financial challenges faced by SLP students and early-career clinicians
✅ Recognize how lack of transparency affects access, equity, and burnout
✅ Identify strategies to support affordability and accessibility within therapy practice

💬 Memorable Quote:

“Nobody prepares you for how expensive it is just to become an SLP.” — Sophia Ermmarino

🔗 Resources & Links:

• The Speech Shelf: https://www.thespeechshelf.com/

• ASHA Student Resources: https://www.asha.org/students/

• Scholarships: ASHA Minority Student Scholarship, NSSLHA Scholarships, state-level loan forgiveness

• Teacher/Special Ed Mini-Grants: DonorsChoose, Scholastic Action Grants, local foundations

• Affordable Material Repositories: The Informed SLP, curated TPT free resources

• Budgeting Tools: EveryDollar, YNAB, Mint