Chaleece Sandberg, Associate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Linguistics, and Neuroscience, and John Robertson spoke with students studying to become Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs). John and I shared our experiences with stroke recovery and the challenges of living with aphasia.
I first spoke to this group in November 2022, two years after my stroke, and have returned each year since. This year, John joined me. Although we had both been members of the Penn State Alumni Aphasia Group for several years, we had never met in person.
We discovered another Penn State connection when John mentioned he had been a member of Phi Delta Theta, the same fraternity I joined. I graduated in 1977, and John graduated around 1990.
John and I face similar communication challenges from aphasia and have worked hard to improve. This was his first time speaking to a student group like this, and although he was nervous, he did an excellent job. It was inspiring to see the confidence he has gained through his determination and hard work.
The photo shows John (left) with his brother, Pete, who is also a Phi Delta Theta member. Pete drove John to the event so he could meet with the students.