Discipline, Determination and a Dean's Award

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Posted on May 9, 2020

Thomas Becnel

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Mary Catherine Cazalas, who returned to Mobile to earn a master鈥檚 degree in speech pathology at the University of South Alabama, is one of those natives with a boundless passion for her hometown.

鈥淚 was really eager to come back,鈥� said Cazalas, who graduated from McGill-Toolen High School before earning her undergraduate out of state. 鈥淚 think Mobile鈥檚 the best city in the world. It鈥檚 like a big, small city, if that makes any sense. All of my family鈥檚 here, and my friends are here. And there鈥檚 Mardi Gras, the best holiday in the world.鈥�

When Cazalas enrolled at South, she brought along two speech pathology classmates who are also earning graduate degrees this spring. Add academic recruiter to her resume.

The South women shared a house near campus. They went through clinical rotations and internships. And now they have endured more than a month of the coronavirus pandemic.

鈥淲e all drink of lot of coffee, so we鈥檇 get together for morning coffee and afternoon coffee,鈥� Cazalas said. 鈥淲e studied together. We鈥檇 do movie nights.鈥�

During her undergraduate and graduate careers, Cazalas maintained a perfect 4.0 grade-point average. No B鈥檚 for her. Six years of discipline and dedication.

鈥淚 knew I wanted to go to grad school, so I guess that was my motivation,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd I like to see those A鈥檚.鈥�

In speech pathology at South鈥檚 Pat Capps Covey College of Allied Health Professions, Cazalas did research as a graduate assistant in the Swallowing Disorders Initiative Lab. Her master鈥檚 thesis examined 鈥淔actors Influencing Oral Bolus Hold Type 鈥� Tipper or Dipper.鈥�

She earned the college鈥檚 Dean鈥檚 Award for her academic accomplishments.

Cazalas worked in the speech lab with Dr. Kendrea Garand, who encouraged her to write a thesis, in addition to her clinical hours.

鈥淪he鈥檚 very persuasive,鈥� Cazalas said. 鈥淪he pushed me to do all of these kinds of things.鈥�

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 hard,鈥� Garand said. 鈥淚t was just guiding her and letting her know I thought she could be successful. She鈥檚 a pretty smart cookie. I鈥檝e been trying to encourage her to get her Ph.D.鈥�

For her master鈥檚 thesis, Cazalas examined 195 X-ray videos of healthy people swallowing liquids. The question was whether they collected liquid in their mouths above their tongues (tippers), or below their tongues (dippers), before swallowing.

Most turned out to be tippers.

鈥淚t was not what we expected,鈥� Cazalas said. 鈥淲e expected older people would have different patterns of tongue movement. That鈥檚 what an earlier study had found.鈥�

During her summers in Mobile, Cazalas has worked at Camp Rap-a-Hope, a summer program for children who have had cancer. In her final internship this spring, she worked at Bluebird Pediatric Therapy Services.

鈥淚 love kids 鈥� you never know what you鈥檙e going to get,鈥� she said. 鈥淓very one of them is different. You get to incorporate games and make work more like fun.鈥�

The next step for her speech pathology career will be working with a supervisor during a clinical fellowship year. After that, she鈥檚 not sure what her future will hold.

Because of coronavirus restrictions, Cazalas will miss a traditional graduation ceremony at South. She already had to postpone her wedding from May until August.

鈥淭his is what I get,鈥� she joked, 鈥渇or planning everything so perfectly.鈥�

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