News from The Mahurin Honors College

For senior Riley Hurm, graduating from WKU in just a few days feels "kind of crazy to say"—but her journey has been anything but ordinary. A Communication Sciences and Disorders major in the College of Health and Human Services from Louisville, Kentucky, Riley’s path to studying speech-language pathology wasn’t a straight line.

Originally, she envisioned herself becoming an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. “I spent a lot of time working in my dad’s dental office, so I did a lot of job shadowing,” she recalls. But after a particularly memorable experience shadowing a patient with a severe oral condition, she realized that surgery wasn’t the career for her. “I was like, ‘Okay, I’m scrapping this. I can’t handle that.’”

It was a conversation with her dad’s office manager that planted a new idea: speech-language pathology. “It seemed like the perfect combination of my interest in science—without needing to do the hard sciences of medical school—and my love for language,” Riley says. Once she started her coursework, she discovered a passion for the field’s breadth: from working with children on language development to helping adults rehabilitate communication skills after strokes.

Riley’s research experience at WKU deepened her passion for adult language rehabilitation, particularly working with individuals with aphasia. “With adults, you’re working with rehabilitation of language rather than habilitation,” she explains. She even explored alternative therapeutic approaches for her honors thesis, studying how adapted yoga programs could bolster self-perceptions of language among individuals with aphasia. "It was fascinating to see how much the practice of yoga improved their confidence in communicating after a stroke.”

Her choice to work primarily with adults stems not from a lack of love for children—some of her most rewarding moments have been hearing a young client say a new word for the first time—but from a natural ease in connecting with older populations. “I’ve always been better at interacting with adults,” Riley shares.

Outside the classroom and clinic, Riley has immersed herself in Hilltopper life. A proud second-generation WKU student, Riley says her family's legacy on the Hill is a point of connection and comfort. “My dad, uncles, aunts, cousins—so many of them went here. It feels like home. I still go visit the tree planted for my grandma at the alumni garden when I miss my family.”

Riley made her mark on campus through the Mahurin Honors College, joining organizations like HonorsToppers (honors ambassadors), leading the revamped honors orientation within M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan as a Direction Leader in 2024, and participating in the Honors Social Planning Board. Reflecting on her growth, she says, “Leaving WKU, I feel so different than when I came in. I learned how to really connect with people, how to put myself out there, and not be so afraid of rejection. The Honors College poured so much into me.”

One of Riley’s standout experiences at WKU was her winter term study abroad in London, where she spent two and a half weeks diving deep into the intersections of history, healthcare, and speech-language pathology.

“I knew I wanted to study abroad from early on,” Riley says. "I actually met with the study abroad office freshman year to start planning it out." Although originally intending to study abroad for a full semester, graduating early shifted her plans. When the opportunity arose for a shorter winter program focused specifically on speech-language therapy, she jumped at the chance.

The program centered around the life of King George VI—famously portrayed in The King’s Speech—who struggled with a significant stutter and brought national attention to the field of speech therapy in Britain. “It was so cool to learn that before him, speech therapy wasn’t really formalized,” Riley explains. “He worked with an elocution teacher, not a medical speech therapist, and after his experiences, he actually sponsored speech therapy as a formalized medical field in the U.K.”

During her time abroad, Riley visited the Michael Palin Centre, recognized internationally as the leading stammering clinic. “Their approach to treating stammering is so different there. It’s not just about fixing the speech; it's about educating the community to accept and understand it,” she says. “They help people feel more confident communicating as they are instead of focusing purely on eliminating the stammer.”

Beyond the clinical insights, Riley also loved the cultural and linguistic immersion. "Being in an English-speaking country, but hearing so many different British dialects, was incredible," she shares. "It reinforced the principle that dialect is a difference, not a disorder. In speech-language pathology, it's important not to target or erase a person’s natural dialect during therapy." Whether she was navigating the bustling streets of London or attending shows on the West End—“It was so interesting to hear Wicked performed with full British accents!”—Riley absorbed the nuance of regional language patterns that she knows will shape her sensitivity and skill as a future clinician.

"The exposure to different accents, the different cultural values around communication, and just seeing how another healthcare system values speech therapy—it’s all stuff I’m going to carry with me into my future practice."

Next up for Riley: graduate school at Indiana University. Drawn to IU’s connection with its medical school and strong clinical opportunities with adult populations, she’s excited for what’s ahead. "Bloomington felt like a good in-between—not as big as Louisville, but still lively, like Bowling Green. It’s my Goldilocks fit."

As graduation nears, Riley reflects on the advice she would give her freshman self: “Don’t be afraid to go out and try things. If it doesn’t work out, that’s okay—and if it does, that’s amazing. The most rewarding parts of my college experience have come from putting myself out there.”

And of course, no reflection would be complete without a nod to one of her favorite WKU traditions—visiting Spencer’s Coffee. “If anyone’s ever looking for a recommendation, I’m a big fan of the iced 24 ounce Honey Badger or the iced chai tea latte,” she laughs. “It’s my little pick-me-up, and honestly, I’ll probably be driving three hours back from Indiana just for a cup.”

With her deep compassion, newfound confidence, and drive to give others a voice, Riley Hurm’s future is as bright as the Hilltop she’ll always call home.