NYC Gazette

Abegail Farahan, a student in the Katz School's M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology program, has found her calling in helping others communicate. Her passion for speech-language pathology stems from growing up in a multilingual household where English, Russian, and Farsi were spoken. This background gave her insight into the complexities of communication.

“I grew up in a home where we spoke two to three languages—English, Russian and my dad’s Persian, so I also heard Farsi,” said Farahan. “When I was trying to figure out my career path, I thought, ‘Wow, I can’t imagine being in a situation where I can’t communicate—like a child who can’t even say hi or an adult who lost their language due to a stroke.’”

Her love for language led her to pursue this field with the aim of helping people express themselves. “Hearing a kid talk for the first time, seeing a stroke patient regain their ability to communicate—it’s incredibly special to me.”

Farahan's externships have been pivotal in shaping her approach. At New York Neurogenic, she worked with a 65-year-old stroke survivor with Broca’s aphasia. “He lost fluency and struggled to find words. One day, he got so frustrated with me that he told me to stop talking,” she said. “At first, it stung, but then I put myself in his shoes—he was trying to relearn how to speak. That moment deepened my patience and empathy.”

During another externship at Social City focused on social skills development, she translated for the mother of a student with Fragile X syndrome: “There was a student with Fragile X syndrome... When his mother... asked how his day went, I translated,” said Farahan.

Farahan is particularly interested in pediatric speech pathology: “Children and teenagers have their whole lives ahead of them...”

One memorable experience involved encouraging a high school student from an underserved community: “I told her... ‘You’re really smart...’ and she said... ‘No one has ever told me that before.’”

Reflecting on her multicultural upbringing: “I was embarrassed because none of my friends had immigrant parents... Everyone is different..."

As graduation approaches in May, Farahan plans to work initially at a school before opening her own practice focusing on children.

“Even if it’s just waving... every step forward in communication is a success.”