Shirley Smit, shown adjacent to the Communication Disorders and Sciences office in Thompson Hall at SUNY Fredonia.

State University of New York at Fredonia’s Shirley Smit, a Communication Disorders and Sciences major from Dutchess County, has received one of four Undergraduate Sophomore Scholarships, each valued at $500, awarded nationwide to students by the National Student Speech-Language and Hearing Association for the 2022-23 academic year.

“She is a learner, through and through, and wants to be able to know as much as possible,” said Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences Lecturer Allison Manning. “She’s a delight to have in a class and I’m excited to see what she is going to do in her studies and in the future.”

Smit, of the Class of 2025, is a member and current treasurer of the Fredonia chapter of the NSSLHA, the only student national organization for pre-professionals studying communication sciences and disorders recognized by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She is also enrolled in the Honors Program at SUNY Fredonia.

Manning advises Fredonia’s student chapter of the National Student Speech-Language and Hearing Association and Smit is currently enrolled in the course, CDS 250: Speech and Language Development, Manning is teaching in the spring semester.

Smit has a minor in Spanish and is a graduate of John Jay High School in Hopewell Junction.