Nicole Bazzocchi, Speech-language Pathology

Nicole Bazzocchi is a second year student in the M.H.Sc Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program. She  has displayed leadership through her involvement with the Theory to Therapy: Ontario Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Student Conference and the Interprofessional Healthcare Students’ Association (IPHSA).

Developed by UofT SLP alumni Brianna Guild, Allie Annibale, and Shanie Rampersaud in 2018, the Theory to Therapy Graduate Student conference aims to foster the importance of research in clinical practice, while encouraging collaboration among audiology and SLP students. For the past two years, Nicole has acted as a co-chair of the conference, creating a space for students to share their research, knowledge and experiences with one another. Even among the COVID-19 pandemic, Nicole remained committed to cultivating these learning environments and the team transitioned the conference to a virtual format! Going virtual allowed the conference to expand across the Ontario border, bringing together students from six schools across Canada. The agenda included a professional keynote speaker, five student workshops and an interactive case-based networking activity.

As a member of IPHSA, Nicole acted as one of the SLP program representatives, as well as a member of both the Outreach and Education Committees. As a member of these committees, she assisted in the organization and implementation of various interprofessional education learning activities. She also acted as an Outreach Mentor to undergraduate and high school students interested in entering a healthcare profession, particularly SLP. In this role, she listened to her mentees’ aspirations, fielded questions, provided support and promoted healthcare professions and interprofessional collaboration.

Nicole believes that leadership is adaptive and can take on many styles and forms. Being a leader means sharing your talents, passions, and skills with the world; collaborating with others to achieve a shared vision and inspiring others to do the same.