Hello!
This is a special update, one that is over a YEAR in the making! Over a year ago, we had a graduating student reach out to see about joining Family Chatterbox for her clinical fellowship year. We let the student know that we typically do not hire anyone who does not have at least a year of experience but that we would love to meet with her to see if we might be a good fit down the road. We met, we LOVED her, her passion for the speech world, and her joy and excitement for life. However, we also knew that what Family Chatterbox does is unique, challenging and can be overwhelming even for the most experience speech therapist, so as much as we wanted to hire the student at that time, we truly believed it would be best for her to gain a year of experience prior to joining our team. So we told her we would reach out again in a year, and if she was interested at that time we would love to have her join our team. Well, here we are a year later and we could not be more excited to introduce you to the newest member of our team, Mikka Nichols. Below you will learn a little more about her!
First, tell us a little about yourself!
Hi! I’m Mikka Nichols, and I’m so excited to be part of the Family Chatterbox team! I grew up in rural North Dakota and graduated from Minot State University. My husband and I just got married last summer! Since I’m still fairly new to Minnesota, we spend a lot of time being tourists in our own city — exploring new places, restaurants, and camp sites! I love all things fitness, baking treats, and any outdoor activities. We also love traveling to different National Parks and going hiking whenever we can!
Why did you choose Speech-Language Pathology?
I always knew I wanted to work with kids, so during undergrad, I shadowed a few speech-language pathologists — and I loved it! I quickly realized how important communication is for building relationships, making connections, and navigating everyday life. My mom is also a speech-language pathologist, and she was always sharing all the amazing things SLPs can do and the different settings they can work in. Growing up, I got to see firsthand how rewarding it is to help children build confidence through their communication skills.
What is your work experience?
Most of my speech therapy experience has been with the pediatric population, and spending time with kids truly energizes me! While at Minot State, I worked with ASTEP, an inclusive program for college-aged students with disabilities. Throughout my grad school clinicals, I had the opportunity to work with children and adults in MSU’s campus clinic, private practice, and an elementary school. I also had an amazing externship experience at St. David’s Center for Child and Family Development, where I worked with the Autism Day Treatment team and gained experience with pediatric feeding. Most recently, I’ve worked in the school setting with kindergarteners through 8th graders, supporting students with a variety of needs like ASD, Down Syndrome, articulation disorders, fluency disorders, and language disorders.
What are you most excited about when you think about joining Family Chatterbox?
I’m very excited to work with kids in their own homes, where they feel comfortable and confident! I love that therapy at Family Chatterbox focuses on functional and meaningful goals, like working on communication skills through daily routines and activities. I’m also looking forward to getting to learn from such a kind, knowledgeable, and supportive team!
Lastly and most importantly… What’s your favorite food?
Ooo tough question … I’d have to say tacos! You really can’t beat chips, salsa, and some tacos!