For bilingual speech-language pathologist Deanne Fontanel, MS, CF-SLP (MS-SLP ’24), breaking barriers isn’t just part of her profession: it’s in her blood.
Fontanel’s parents, immigrants from Mexico, faced educational challenges—her father did not complete elementary school, and her mother received her GED in 2021. But they emphasized the importance of education, and she became the first in her family to graduate from University, defying all odds.
“As a nursing student, I saw statistics revealing that just 8% of Latinas in the U.S. held a master’s degree,” says Fontanel. “I shared my aspiration of attending graduate school with a colleague, and they responded, ‘It’s not a matter of when you get into grad school, but if you do.’”
Not only did Fontanel become part of that 8%, but she’s since joined the estimated 6% of SLPs in the country who are Hispanic.
Eager to expand her horizons, Fontanel studied abroad extensively as an undergraduate student, deepening her appreciation for bridging communication gaps.
“Originally, I was a nursing student. I didn’t know that speech-language pathology (SLP) existed until a study abroad trip allowed me to meet an SLP who helped children at an orphanage in Africa,” Fontanel shares. “I was so fascinated by her work that I changed my major to SLP when I came home.”
The Impact of Representation
For Fontanel, the inclusive and personable process of getting accepted into the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) MS-SLP program made her graduate school choice an easy one. She only spoke to their marketing teams when applying to other graduate schools. But, throughout the admission process to USAHS, she met with alumni and faculty. Seeing herself represented through Assistant Professor Ana Rivera, PhD, CCC-SLP, who interviewed her during the admissions process, changed the game.
“I was amazed to meet a doctorate-level SLP who also spoke Spanish,” says Fontanel. “I felt like I saw someone reflecting my story.”
Fontanel graduated from the Dallas, TX campus in 2024 and now works in early intervention as a bilingual SLP, one of the few in her area, making for fully booked work days. Her clients are between zero and three years of age, so she integrates the patient’s parents and older siblings into sessions when possible.
Breaking Language Barriers with Cultural Sensitivity
“97% of my clients are solely Spanish speakers, but there is also a huge population who speak Spanish as their second language and Mixteco as their first,” she shares. “I do not speak Mixteco yet, but I am learning. I have realized what it feels like to walk into someone’s home and not be able to communicate with them efficiently.”
Fontanel’s background in traveling abroad prepared her to work with patients where there might be a language divide, sharing that nonverbal cues, visual handouts, and cultural sensitivity are essential for connection. She explains, “A small gesture, like asking if parents would prefer you to remove your shoes when entering their home for an appointment, can make a big difference.”
Although early in her career, Fontanel has already witnessed her young patients transform due to early intervention. She shares that one of her patients who showed signs of autism was very dysregulated at first, and his parents needed a lot of support. “By the time he was three, he was able to point and use gestures through methods I learned in my Augmentative and Alternative Communication course,” she shares. “He eventually learned words and phrases. When he transitioned to preschool, his mom sent me a picture of him on his first day. That is one of the most rewarding experiences I have had.”
Committed to Growth
Today, Fontanel eagerly anticipates growing her knowledge of bilingual services and expanding her languages by learning Mixteco. She also is passionate about encouraging other budding SLPs in their journeys.
“For any SLPs who want to do bilingual services, I encourage them to attend a university that offers cultural competency courses,” she says. “USAHS was one of the few programs I found that provided that, and I believe those courses shaped me into the clinician I am today.”
As she progresses in her career, Fontanel is committed to embracing the process, appreciating every learning experience, and refraining from being hard on herself for what she doesn’t yet know.
