Sachem Alums Receive Joan Fox Award At Respective Colleges

Kelly Glynn and Kayla Thide have been passionate about American Sign Language since they attended Sachem High School East.

They went their separate ways to college to enhance their sign language ability and their paths crossed again when they were both recently recognized as recipients of the 2012 Joan Fox Award, given to individuals obtaining a master's in speech-language pathology at a local university who will be the legacy of the graduating class, at their respective schools. The award is presented annually by the Long Island Speech-Language Hearing Association.

Glynn, who received her undergraduate degree from SUNY Cortland, is now studying for her master’s at Hofstra University. Thide attended St. Joseph’s College and is enrolled at C.W. Post for her master’s.

“This is truly an accomplishment for the Sachem Community,” Glynn said. “It is absolutely amazing that two Sachem alumni have won this award that is seen as such a high achievement in our field. It just goes to show that Sachem creates wonderful individuals who go out and truly make a difference in the world.”

Glynn said her decision to take American Sign Language during her senior year of high school was a life changing experience.

“We are both very enthusiastic about our choice to join the field of speech-language pathology as students, and are looking forward to our future in the profession,” Thide said. “Our dedication to the field and love for helping individuals with a variety of communication disorders will continue to develop throughout the upcoming years.”