About Me
Hello! My name is Kylie Cronan. I am from Charleston South Carolina, and I am currently a senior Language and International Health major with a concentration in Spanish at Clemson University. Throughout this degree path, I have been able to bridge healthcare with cultural competency, as well as the ways that language and culture influence health behaviors and healthcare practices. The journey that I have been on here at Clemson has truly shaped my interests and helped me grow as a person in so many remarkable ways. I entered college at Quinnipiac University in 2021 with the hopes of becoming an orthopedic surgeon, but quickly decided that I wanted to come back to South Carolina, and transferring to Clemson was the best choice I could have ever made for myself, despite being on the edge at the time. Now I am a senior, and through exposure to so many different possible career paths in my health courses, I find myself in love with the idea of becoming a speech language pathologist that works primarily with children.
As a part of the Language and International Health program, I had the most incredible opportunity to study abroad in Seville, Spain, where I took classes to further my Spanish language abilities and immerse myself into Spanish culture. My favorite class in Seville was my Food and Culture in Spain course that focused on how different cultures shaped the gastronomy of Spain over the course of history. In this class I learned a lot about how influential language and culture are in daily habits. Learning about how each culture built off of the previous one was a really helpful real world parallel to how things can be adapted to fit the needs of a client or patient with different worldviews, which is what I think this degree is all about. I was also able to complete an internship in Seville with Perales Nutrición where I was able to work with clients on developing meal plans for their specific goals and create informative content for the practice’s instagram page to inform the public about important nutritional concepts. Something that really challenged me doing this work was completely forgetting about American dietary norms and tailoring all of my content and meal plans to Spanish diets and dietary habits, but this challenge significantly improved my ability to be flexible and my drive to continue learning more and more about different cultures and their health practices.
I am currently working at the Central-Clemson Recreation Center as a swim instructor for kids ten and under, and it has been something that has cemented my desire to work with children. Being a swim teacher has allowed me to practice valuable skills such as effective communication, adaptability, and patience. It has also reinforced my leadership skills and the importance of building trust with students, ensuring they feel safe and supported.
My core values of dependability, communication, and lifelong learning align closely with my academic and professional goals. I love to help others, which is why I want to become a speech-language pathologist. Effective communication is such an important life skill, and I want to be able to support kids in overcoming speech and language challenges to improve their quality of life. After finishing my undergraduate degree, I plan to take a year off to gain hands-on experience in the field, whether through clinical work or volunteer opportunities. This will strengthen my skills and confirm my passion before pursuing graduate school in speech-language pathology.
My experiences have shaped me into someone who values cultural competence, empathy, and effective communication. The combination of academic and professional knowledge that I have obtained have shaped my career aspirations. My passion for helping others and a commitment to lifelong learning will guide me as I gain more experience and pursue graduate school.
