Neonatal speech-language pathology is a big goal, but Camryn Humes started building toward it before day one of college. “I started Dual Enrollment in the spring of 2025 and I took Intro to Psychology,” she says. The class did more than earn credit: it created habits. “It helped me to be more responsible… checking my PennWest email daily and just getting a feel for what the college routine is early on.”

Her career direction sharpened, too. “I decided to switch from nursing to SLP because I still wanted to work in a hospital… but I didn’t want to deal with everything that came with nursing,” Camryn explains. “With speech, you can work in a variety of different fields… I’m always able to switch without having to go back to school for it.” Psychology deepened the interest: “I was able to learn more about the brain and the behavioral aspects… that also helped me… switch to SLP because I knew that I wanted to help kids.”

Now a first-year Speech-Language Pathology major from Erie, Camryn is pursuing the accelerated program while working in Admissions and Campus Life as a student employee, welcoming new students the way she was welcomed. Time management is her secret sauce. During dual enrollment, she balanced cheerleading and an internship at the Erie VA Hospital with a planner, a wall whiteboard calendar, and sticky-note to-do lists on her laptop—organizational tools she still relies on.

Her advice to high-school students considering dual enrollment is simple and strategic: “Find a course that you’re genuinely interested in… I always try to think of the end goal.” That mindset—paired with early exposure to college expectations—made the transition feel familiar and the finish line feel closer.