The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) recently awarded Gold Chapter Honors for 2019 to the NSSLHA chapter at Elmhurst College.

NSSLHA Chapter Honors are awarded to affiliated chapters that demonstrate an outstanding effort to support the national association’s mission to inspire, empower and support students in communication sciences and disorders programs. Only about 10 to 20 percent of the nation’s 350 NSSLHA chapters are recognized with Gold Honors each year.

Elmhurst College’s chapter, which has been active for 33 years, currently has about 70 active members. This is the first time the chapter has received Gold Honors recognition.

“Achieving NSSLHA Chapter Gold Honors for the first time in Elmhurst College’s history is a huge accomplishment for our chapter,” said Adam Fritzshall, chapter president. “This distinction will allow our chapter increased recognition in the field of communication sciences and disorders, which we hope will encourage more students to apply to the program at Elmhurst College and become involved.”

During the 2018-2019 school year, the College’s NSSLHA chapter focused its efforts on philanthropy, advocacy and education. The chapter supported local establishments, including a local low-income school district and GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers, by donating requested items.

Elmhurst College NSSLHA members also began the “CSD Takes on Elmhurst” initiative, where members created flyers on a variety of topics in the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology. The flyers were posted throughout the campus and Elmhurst community to disseminate information about the fields and to promote safer and more effective communication techniques.

Members also took part in Student Advocacy Day and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Virtual Advocacy Day by sending 50 letters to state lawmakers that supported legislation to enhance those professions. The executive board of the chapter also hosted educational talks, presentations and events for its members.

“Our members are proud to have served our campus and community through educational, philanthropic and legislative outreach,” Fritzshall said. “This recognition marks a new beginning for our chapter, which future NSSLHA generations will continue to enhance.”