Humans of UNAC/UHCP: Vini Beltran, SLP

“I always loved teaching and initially thought I’d become a teacher. But after some reflection—and meeting a speech pathologist—I realized I wanted something more dynamic, working with both kids and adults across a diverse population.

“Later, when my own father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and my mother developed dementia, my career became deeply personal. Helping them made me realize that speech pathology isn’t just a job—it’s a calling. I’m committed to helping others navigate what I went through with my own parents. It’s made me a better person and a better clinician.

“In outpatient care, we work with children with autism, language delays, and speech disfluencies like stuttering. In acute care, we support NICU babies with feeding and swallowing, and collaborate on multidisciplinary teams like ALS and Parkinson’s clinics.

“Our field is so unique because we support patients across every stage of life. Everyone deserves access to the services they need to live fully—and that’s what speech-language pathology is all about.”