Breathe.

Hello blog world! It seems as though I haven't blogged in ages!

These past few weeks/weekends have been the MOST stressful time in my 24 years of living. Hands down. I have studied, and studied, and studied some more. I have never been as worried, anxious, overwhelmed, stressed, or tired as I was the weeks leading up to comps.

Comps was 10 questions. 10 case based questions covering everything that I have learned in a year and a half of graduate school. Over 2 days. 2 very long days. From 8 AM to 3 PM.

I studied. Hard.

And then on the 23rd and the 24th of January I took comps. The dreaded comps. And I wrote. And I wrote everything I had crammed into my head over the past month of studying. And I actually sounded like a speech pathologist.

And then I waited.

I waited all Friday, all Saturday, and most of Sunday.

The waiting was terrible. It was out of my hands. I had done all I could do and now it was up to my professors. Had I written enough? Had I written the right things?

And then at 3:30 PM I received a phone call from our department head.

AND I PASSED!!!!

I have never been so glad to receive a phone call! A HUGE weight has been lifted off of my shoulders.
I told my mom that today will rank up there with the day I get married and the days I have my children. I feel like I can finally breathe and relax for the first time in a VERY long time.

Now all that stands between me and graduation is a 13 week extern at North Mississippi Medical Center and some online assignments!

I am beyond excited.

I look back now and I can't believe how hard I have worked. But I know that I never could have done it alone.


I cannot say thank you enough to my family, friends, and fellow speechies who have encouraged me and prayed for me. They have played such a huge part in my journey, and I am forever grateful.

I also have to give all of the glory to our Heavenly Father. I know it is so cliche to say, but I know that He was with me throughout my entire time in graduate school and especially during comps. I have said before and I still believe that I was put on this Earth to be a speech-language pathologist. God made me uniquely Amy... with a heart for loving/serving others and giving them the gift of communication, whether that be for the very first time or for those who once had the ability and have since lost it.

Throughout my month of studying for comps this (you can click on the word to listen) song was on my heart the entire time. I sang it over and over again... While studying. In my car. In the shower. When lying in the bed trying to calm myself enough to go to sleep. And it was such a comfort.

You hear me when I call 
You are my morning song 
Though darkness fills the night 
It cannot hide the light I know who goes before me 
I know who stands behind me 

The God of angel armies 
Is always by my side 

The one who reigns forever 
He is a friend of mine 

The God of angel armies 
Is always by my side 

My strength is in Your name 
For You alone can save 
You will deliver me 
Yours is the victory 

Whom shall I fear 
Whom shall I fear 


The God of angel armies is always by my side... I know who goes before me. And there is no doubt in my mind that He went before me on the days of comps and was with me in that classroom.

Yours is the victory.

I'm almost there. I'm almost done. And I can't believe it. I am so incredibly blessed.

All praise, honor, and glory to God the Father.

Amy