UTAS graduations: Laurin speaks freely of pride in history-making University of Tasmania allied health course

A lifelong fascination for communication and languages led Laurin Hudspeth to her true calling as a speech pathologist.

Laurin Hudspeth, 26, who is among the first cohort of graduates from the UTAS Master of Speech Pathology course. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

A lifelong fascination for communication and languages led Laurin Hudspeth to her true calling as a speech pathologist.

On Thursday, the 26-year-old will be among the very first cohort of Tasmanian-trained physiotherapy and speech pathology students to graduate at a UTAS ceremony in Launceston.

After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne in 2020, Ms Hudspeth returned to Tasmania to work as a teaching aide, then as a disability support worker.

“Both of these roles instilled a strong desire to work with people,” Ms Hudspeth told the Mercury.

“And it was after taking a client to a speech pathology session that I had a light-bulb moment, and realised it could be a career where all my passions intersected.

“While I nearly accepted offers from interstate universities, I love Tassie so much, so studying at UTAS was a no-brainer.”

All 24 of Ms Hudspeth’s graduating classmates have already secured employment, filling critical vacancies across the state’s health sector.

UTAS Head of School, Health Sciences Professor Nuala Byrne. Photo: robburnettimages

Head of the UTAS School of Health Sciences, said the university was overjoyed to have its first cohort of physiotherapy and speech pathology students graduate.

“This milestone has been achieved thanks to years of collaboration with our valued practitioner partners, the Department of Health, and Department for Education, Children and Young People” Professor Byrne said.

“These courses form part of our Allied Health Expansion Program which was designed to create new opportunities to better support the health workforce needs in Tasmania.

“While our first cohort of graduates are now ready to provide much-needed allied health services, we have recently welcomed our third cohort – with 60 new students commencing our physiotherapy and speech pathology courses.”

The two-year Master of Occupational Therapy is the next course in the UTAS Allied Health Expansion Program, with the university welcoming its inaugural intake next year.

Ms Hudspeth, who is already working at a private paediatric practice in Hobart, said she felt privileged to be a part of the historical graduating class of 2024

“The UTAS course gave me the tools to support people with their communication, which is incredibly rewarding because it’s such an essential aspect of all our lives,” she said.

“There is a tremendous amount of joy that comes from supporting clients to have a voice, to understand and be understood by their loved ones, and to participate more fully in their community.”