Meet Jillana Edwards, New ESU 10 Speech Language Pathologist

Meet Jillana Edwards, New ESU 10 Speech Language Pathologist  

September 27, 2016
I am a small town girl from Benkelman, Nebraska. I graduated from Dundy County Stratton High School in 2010. I first found my love for communication while working at a summer reading program during my high school years.  I encountered a child who was unable to communicate her needs, and it made me very sad. I thought there had to be a better way…  I went on to McCook Community College where I was introduced to the field of Speech Language Pathology. Again, I encountered another child who had difficulty communicating, and I saw all of the frustration and pain it caused him. I talked about my concerns for these children with my mom, who mentioned the profession of Speech Language Pathology. From there I was bound and determined, and I never changed my mind. I went on to the University of Nebraska Lincoln and pursued a degree in communication disorders. After living in Lincoln for a year, I needed to return to the life of small town living, so I transferred to the University of Nebraska Kearney where I completed my Bachelor of Science in Education Degree and my Master of Science in Education degree.   

My husband, Travis Barker, and I live in Broken Bow, Nebraska. Travis is an IT manager for Thomas Livestock Co. in Broken Bow. He also owns his own business, EZ IT Solutions. Upon meeting Travis I was blessed with a step-son, Kamden. Kamden is six years old and goes to school in Litchfield. He kept us busy this summer! We are expecting a little one in January, so there is a lot of excitement coming our way!

I look forward to serving as a speech-language pathologist for ESU 10, and I am loving my first year on the job!