From Brown to being a Beaver
MINOT, N.D. – For many students, the higher education path is to apply to a school, attend that school for four to six years, graduate, and begin working in their desired field.
Erica Foster-Allen didn’t take the traditional path and it has turned into her story of becoming a Beaver.
Her higher education journey began when she was accepted into Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island in the fall of 2015, but Foster-Allen wasn’t convinced that it was the right time for her to start her studies.
“Originally, I was going to study international relations at Brown, but then I took a gap year and went to Germany. I got a scholarship that was jointly funded by the U.S. Department of State and German Bundestag (German government) that sponsored around 250 American students,” she said. “I lived with a host family and went to a local German high school. Even though I already graduated, I went for more of the social exposure. I learned a lot about myself, that I have a big sense of independence.”
Coming back from Germany, she attended Brown in the fall of 2016 and graduated with a degree in public policy in May 2020. Since graduating simultaneously as the COVID-19 outbreak occurred, Foster-Allen decided to move back home to Houston to finish her capstone and thesis.
“I got a job at a local school doing COVID-19 tracking and I had a lot of free time. I would go and talk to the teachers and ask them why they chose their career to learn more and try to find out what I wanted to do,” she said.
Still unsure of what career path was best suited for her, she met with the speech-language pathologist at the school and her eyes widened.
“Up until this point I didn’t even know speech pathology was a field. I ended up talking to the speech pathologist there and she was telling me about her job and what she does, and I knew that was something for me,” Foster-Allen said. “My mom works at a big hospital in Houston and she connected me with one of the speech pathologists there, and I went and shadowed her.”
Her next step in her journey was to find a program for speech-language pathology where she met the qualifications. Already having her bachelor’s degree, she found Minot State’s post-baccalaureate program.
She came to visit in March 2021 and toured the program to ensure it was the right fit, having never been to this part of the country before.
“I like Minot State because the post-bac program is separate from graduate school. Some of the programs you have to apply directly to graduate school, and if I ended up not enjoying speech-pathology, I didn’t want to be stuck somewhere,” she said.
Foster-Allen admits the jump from a large city like Houston to a smaller one like Minot was a difficult transition, but the people and the program have helped her enjoy her time at MSU so far.
“I’ve made some friends, but you have to find your niche — you have to find your community to make it work here. I joined the Minot Beginner’s Community Band as I've played the French horn for years, and now I’m learning the clarinet,” she said. “Also, Leisa Harmon (communication sciences and disorders assistant professor) has been a really good source of advice. She’s really personable and easy to talk to so she’s been really good to connect with.”
Once finished with her time at Minot State, Foster-Allen hopes to return to Texas to work in a hospital setting, and already having connections through her mom, hopes to land an externship. Her passion would be to work with the adult population and help with adult intervention.
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
| Published: 03/10/22 |
