Volunteer Spotlight: Spring SLP Team!

These speech teams have been such a treat to work with!

In September of 2022, we launched the Amina Grace Speech and Language program at our GiGi’s Playhouse Canton location. This one-on-one program provides youth, teens and adults with greatly expanded opportunities to evolve and refine their speech and language skills.

So far, we have been able to provide FREE speech therapy services to 18 different participants thanks to our partnerships with the University of Akron and Kent State University. We have amazing, credentialed speech supervisors that provide weekly supervision to the university students as they engage on this journey with us to help participants build various speech skills.

Effective enunciation, clarity of speech, word order and message meaning are paramount to fostering greater self-confidence, comprehension, problem-solving, school readiness, social skills, independence, and overall quality of life. We are so grateful to all of our SLP students and supervisors who are able to make this opportunity possible for our families!

Meet the supervisors:

Julianne Rowles

Jules grew up in the Canton area and never left 🙂 She went to Akron for both undergrad and grad school! Jules has been an SLP for 7 years, all of which has been in the schools. She has been married for 9 years and has 3 kiddos (ages 7,6,3). Her original drive to become an SLP was to work with the elderly, as she had been exposed to the field when she worked at an assisted living facility while she was in undergrad. However, when she became a mom, the school side of the field looked more intriguing! Her hobbies include hanging out with my family, being active at her church, and running! Fun fact: Jules is trying to run a half marathon in every state! 

Cindy Pacconi

Cindy is a 1997 graduate of Kent State University Speech and Language Program. She has been employed with Osnaburg Local Schools for 25 years. Cindy chose to be a Speech Language Pathologist because it is such a diverse and flexible field; she loves that she can work with small children as well as adults. She also believe that communication is the essence of our society. Cindy loves helping others to find their most effective ways to communicate to others.    

Susan Marchi

Susan has been a Speech Language Pathologist since 1980! She retired at the end of last school year and plans to work occasionally for the Stark County Educational Service Center as needed for speech language assessment. She has worked for Stark County Well Child Clinics doing screening; provided assessment and therapy with preschoolers in various school districts through the Stark County Educational Service Center; and worked with school – age children from Kindergarten through high school in Plain Local, Jackson Local and Canton City Schools. Susan has provided therapy for adults in nursing homes and psychiatric facilities and served as a Clinical Coordinator for a rehab company. Susan loves spending time with her grandchildren, traveling with her husband, painting, cooking, gardening and attending church activities.