From patient to SLP: Holley pursues speech-language path career
Life and experience have provided the greatest inspiration for Mallory Holley.
Holley has been a babysitter since she was 10. She currently maintains a client list of six families who are just a phone call away. Receiving speech services for nine years while growing up gave her insight into the field of speech-language pathology and introduced her to the program at Mississippi University for Women.
That combination has led to Holley preparing to walk across the stage at Whitfield Hall Auditorium on May 8 to receive her bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology.
“I had a great therapist. She wanted to know me personally. We had fun,” Holley said. “I want to carry that over into my future career. I want to be that person who is a bright, shining light in their lives. I want to improve their quality of life.”
The Fulton native, who has always loved children, knew exactly which program and degree she wanted to pursue. However, she said she was not the same person when she first arrived on campus. She credits her mother for encouraging her to apply to become an orientation leader at the end of her freshman year.
“I did it. I ended up loving it so much that I came back for another year,” Holley said. “When I got into the speech-language pathology program and started taking major courses, it felt like a family. We all started growing together and building a sense of community.”
On April 14, 2026, while sitting in class, Holley received news that she had been awarded a graduate scholarship from the National Association of Junior Auxiliaries (NAJA) totaling nearly $6,000.
Struggling to contain her excitement, Holley texted her family group chat in all caps: “I JUST GOT AN EMAIL ABOUT THE NAJA SCHOLARSHIP AND I’M RECEIVING $5,988.51 FOR GRAD SCHOOL!”
Holley learned about the scholarship from her student success navigator, Callie Baldridge. Student success navigators provide academic guidance, help students set goals and connect them to campus resources.
Baldridge; Laurel Jones, instructor of speech-language pathology; Jennifer Pounders, clinic director of The W Speech and Hearing Center; and Catherine Cotton, assistant professor of speech-language pathology, all supported Holley with letters of recommendation.
“Mallory is a great student and leads by example in the classroom as well as during volunteer events outside of the classroom. She is not just present at community events; she is fully engaged and actively participates with the children,” said Pounders.
Holley is a member of the Ina E. Gordy Honors College, president of The W’s National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association chapter and a peer mentor in the Student Success Center. She has also volunteered for child-centered nonprofit events, including Little Hands Big Trucks, Bedz 4 Kids and Special Olympics.
“Mallory truly desires to make a difference in the lives of children, and I have personally witnessed this on many occasions in the class I teach,” said Jones. “She cares deeply about positively contributing to whatever she is involved in and truly seeks to selflessly serve others.”
Holley will begin graduate studies in the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology program at The W in fall 2026.
Since 1962, the NAJA Graduate Scholarship Program has awarded more than 600 scholarships totaling more than $1.5 million for graduate studies in fields addressing the needs of children and youth. Applicants must plan to work directly with children and pursue graduate studies in areas such as counseling, psychology, mental health, special education, speech pathology, exceptional children, remedial skills development, hearing impairment and gifted education.