Zelma Vance Speech Language Pathologist Zelma realized she wanted to be a Speech Language Pathologist when she worked as a volunteer with a child who had spina bifida; the child received treatment from a Speech Language Pathologist. The child's progress inspired her to pursue a career in this speech therapy. Zelma received her education through Missouri State where she received her Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology. Now she works with patients who have down syndrome, feeding issues, swallowing problems and those recovering from other conditions such as stroke. Being the only Speech Language Pathologist in the area means that patients sometimes don't get as much access to Zelma as they need and this means she has to work intensely to help them reach their recovery goals. Helping people overcome their developmental limitations provides Zelma great job satisfaction. Back