Christian Tarver revels in helping others communicate and his enthusiasm helps to keep his students engaged in speech therapy sessions. As a speech-language pathology assistant (SPLA), Christian loves to witness students’ joy when their hard work is rewarded and they are making meaningful progress. He chose to pursue speech-language pathology because of his desire to help others and was drawn to a flexible career where he could work in a variety of clinical settings.
Christian has been working as an SLPA for four years and is finishing his master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. His ultimate goal is to earn a Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology (CCC-SLP), the premier certification for speech-language pathologists.
Pursuing further education shows Christian’s commitment to excelling in his chosen field, but his creativity and drive really set him apart. Recently, Christian’s recruiter, Sarah Alvarado, nominated him for the Care More Spotlight award for his outstanding dedication to speech-language pathology and the students he works with, and for finding new ways to make a difference.
Tales of Tostada is a children’s book that Christian recently published as a fun way to read with his students while teaching them a lesson about friendship. The book is written in rhythmic verse and tells the story of how Christian adopted a kitten at the local animal shelter so he would have a furry friend to keep him company. The cat’s personality flourishes as the kitten matures and becomes more comfortable in the new surroundings.
In her nomination of Christian for the Care More Spotlight award, she describes how Tales of Tostada correlates with his SLPA job. She shared, “I believe this book relates a lot to how children in speech therapy programs tend to flourish with their therapist after becoming comfortable and having the tools to communicate. Sometimes going from a reserved personality to showing their independence and opinions. The book is also a great tool to teach children about adoption and emotions.”
Christian has been with Supplemental Health Care for three years and appreciates the relationship he has developed with his recruiter, Sarah. “The thing I enjoy most about working with Supplemental Health Care is my recruiter and how kind and caring she is. She is always available to answer questions and accommodate when needed.”
Connections, like the one between Christian and his students or his recruiter, are the fuel that drives SHC’s culture of caring. This Care More Spotlight award celebrates Christian and his efforts to go above and beyond for those he serves and demonstrate the qualities that SHC aspires to every day.
Supplemental Health Care has SLPA and SLP job opportunities across a number of settings, including schools. If you’re interested in other nursing, healthcare, or school jobs, search current job openings or contact our care team today!
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