ABERDEEN, S.D. – When Amber Nguyen walks into a school, kids are always excited to see her.
“I get like 500 hugs walking down the hallway,” said Nguyen, smiling.
Nguyen gets to work with numerous students as a speech-language pathologist for the Aberdeen Public School District, and she said it’s a great profession.
“If you are looking for a career where you can make a difference in people’s lives, and in an enjoyable way, this is definitely the profession,” she said.
Nguyen has worked for the district for almost 15 years. She works with students at C.C. Lee Elementary, Holgate Middle School and Simmons Middle School, and she is also coordinator for the school district.
A typical day for Nguyen involves a lot of traveling between schools. The same is true for the district’s 11 other pathologists, also known as speech therapists, because they put the kids’ needs first in terms of scheduling.
“We try to work around their schedules, so sometimes that means extra traveling time,” she said.
It’s a lot of work, but she loves her job.
“I love the kids,” Nguyen said. “And they love me, so that’s really nice, too—just their excitement when I come in to get them. ... What’s nice is just being able to help them and being able to do it in a way that they enjoy.”
The district’s other speech therapists include three speech therapy assistants, two virtual therapists who supervise the speech therapy assistants, two bachelor’s-level therapists and four master’s-level therapists.
Right now there’s an open position for a master’s-level speech-language pathologist, and Nguyen said it’s a great job that she would recommend for many reasons. It’s enjoyable, and no two days are the same.
Also, “The schedule is great,” she said. “There’s a lot of flexibility with that schedule.”
Working with kids is also a big sell, along with having a great, supportive team.
“It’s not you by yourself,” she said. “You have a team you work with.”
You also get to see the kids grow—which she has seen a lot over the past 15 years. Nguyen started at the preschool level and also worked with the South Dakota Birth to 3 Program.
“Some of these kids I saw at Birth to 3 and now I’ve seen at the schools,” she said. “The preschoolers now I have as middle schoolers.”
She has also become close to a lot of the students’ parents since she’s been working with them for so many years.
“They don’t just pass through your life quickly,” she said. “… A lot of them are like family.”
Apply Now
If you would like to apply to be a speech-language pathologist with the Aberdeen Public School District, please visit aberdeen.k12.sd.us/page/employment.
About the Aberdeen Public School District
The Aberdeen Public School District provides a comprehensive educational program to approximately 4,200 students in grades K-12, with a mission of empowering all students to succeed in a changing world. Our students receive the knowledge and skills necessary to reach their potential in a global community through high expectations of academic achievement; diverse educational opportunities; and community involvement in a safe, supportive environment. Learn more at aberdeen.k12.sd.us.