CSD student thrives under alumna mentorship

Graduate builds bilingual SLP expertise through externship at award-winning practice

Raised in a bilingual household, Kiara Williams has always been interested in working with children who speak multiple languages. Her professional journey into that field began with Longwood University’s SLP Online prerequisite coursework, leading her to enroll in the university’s Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) graduate program.

While at Longwood, Williams found another opportunity to advance her career. She discovered Bilinguatherapy, a practice in her hometown of Richmond, founded by 2019 Longwood CSD alumna Tia Javier, who employs SLP therapist Yawrely Ramirez as well as an SLP assistant. 

“I stopped by and introduced myself to Tia and Yawrely, and they gave me a tour of the office,” Williams said. “Tia encouraged me to stay in contact during and after grad school.”

That initial connection turned into a second-year externship at Bilinguatherapy where Williams gained invaluable clinical and business experience under Javier’s mentorship. 

Launched in September 2020 as the only speech therapy practice in Richmond that specializes in bilingual speech therapy, Bilinguatherapy has scaled quickly. The practice gained national recognition in December 2023 when AT&T awarded Javier a $20,000 grant as part of the She’s Connected program, which focuses on business women who excel in their industry. 

“Tia was open about what goes on behind the scenes to keep a company thriving,” Williams said. “She was always honest about the ups and downs. I know that if I ever want to open a private practice, she is a great person to know because she knows what it’s like to start with a seed of an idea and turn it into a successful business.”

At Bilinguatherapy, Williams progressed from observing sessions to leading them with the support of Ramirez, her supervisor.

“She gave me constructive feedback to help me develop my clinical skills and encouraged me to think critically to determine the approaches to use to meet each child’s unique needs,” Williams said. “Tia checked in with me regularly to see how I was doing and make sure I was having a positive experience.”

Eventually, Williams took on all the responsibilities of a speech-language pathologist: completing evaluations and reports, planning and providing treatment to a full caseload of children, completing documentation, and providing parent education. One of her favorite parts of the job was collaborating with occupational therapists, which enriched her understanding of integrated care strategies.

“Several sessions every day were co-treats with occupational therapy, so I learned sensory and emotional regulation strategies that proved to be so helpful when I was leading solo sessions.”

Ultimately, Longwood’s externship gave Williams not only clinical skills, but also a network of clinicians to rely on as she moves forward in her career — including fellow alumna Javier. 

“The team at Bilinguatherapy is very close-knit, so we supported each other however we could — whether by giving each other ideas on how to target a goal in a new way or by helping each other clean up after sessions.”

It has also solidified her commitment to serving bilingual populations, a passion rooted in her own background.

“I love giving back to my community and helping Hispanic families feel understood as they navigate the healthcare system,” Williams said. “My training at Bilinguatherapy helped me feel more prepared to treat culturally diverse populations in any setting.”

Having just graduated from Longwood in May 2024, Williams is now poised to embark on a career as a hospital-based medical SLP — with her time under Javier’s mentorship setting a gold standard. 

“It was a great example of the kind of professional relationship I want to have with my team wherever I go.”