We’re incredibly proud of these alumni, who contributed to countless presentations and played an important role in the work of

The Norman Lab.

Lauren Nelson

Lauren Nelson graduated from the UT Health Master’s program in Speech-Language Pathology in 2025. Lauren is currently completing her clinical fellowship year at a private practice, where she evaluates and treats children from birth to 18 with a wide range of disorders, diagnoses, and communication needs. She collaborates closely with occupational and physical therapists to support comprehensive and effective care.

Alexa Ybarra

Alexa Ybarra earned her M.S. in Speech-Language Pathology from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where she volunteered in Dr. Norman’s research lab during her graduate training. She is currently practicing at a Level II trauma hospital, providing services in both acute care and inpatient rehabilitation settings. Her clinical focus includes adults with traumatic brain injuries, swallowing disorders, and complex medical conditions requiring interdisciplinary care.

Mackenzie Cross

Mackenzie is currently in the process of relocating to Houston, where she will be working at Nexus Children’s Hospital as a physical therapist, providing services to children with profound neurodevelopmental disorders. In this role, she will support patients with diagnoses such as autism and brain injury, focusing on functional mobility, participation in daily activities, and overall quality of life. She looks forward to collaborating with interdisciplinary team members and supporting children and their families through comprehensive, patient-centered care.

Megan Morton

Megan is currently working in private practice as a pediatric speech-language pathologist and is finishing up her Clinical Fellowship. She primarily supports children with speech sound disorders, language delays, literacy challenges, and feeding difficulties, with a strong focus on functional, family-centered care. Megan is incredibly grateful for her time in the Norman Lab, as it strengthened her foundation in evidence-based practice, fostered her clinical reasoning skills, and continues to shape the way she approaches assessment and intervention in her work today.

Grace Holliday

Grace graduated from UTHSCSA in 2024 and moved to Charlottesville, VA where she completed her clinical fellowship at the University of Virginia in the department of otolaryngology, treating patients with head and neck cancer and various voice, swallowing, and upper airway disorders. Grace moved back to DFW in 2025 and currently work in acute care at UT Southwestern medical center where she get to see patients with a wide variety of diagnoses!

Monserrath is a first-year speech-language pathology student at UT Health San Antonio. She received her bachelors of science in speech-language pathology with a minor in psychology from the University of Texas at Dallas. Monserrath hopes to work in a medical setting with individuals from all age groups with traumatic brain injuries and swallowing disorders.

Monserrath Diaz

After graduating in 2025, Monserrath initiated her clinical fellowship at a pediatric outpatient clinic. She continues to pursue her interest in research and hopes to one day obtain her PhD to further the field’s knowledge on bilingualism within the Hispanic community.

Jena Hermes

Jena graduated in 2023 and is currently working as a speech-language pathologist in San Antonio, Texas, primarily serving the adult acquired brain injury (ABI) population in the inpatient rehabilitation setting at NeuroRestorative and New Braunfels Regional Rehab Hospital. She works with individuals with neurologically related disorders, including aphasia, apraxia, dysarthria, dysphagia, and cognitive-communication impairments. Jena is especially passionate about neurorehabilitation and finds it incredibly rewarding to witness her patients make meaningful progress, rebuild their skills, and regain independence in their daily lives.

Ashlynn Albarran

Ashlynn graduated from the UT Health San Antonio SLP program in spring 2024. Currently, she is working in the school setting in the Houston, TX area. Ashlynn specializes in working with school-age students focusing on: expressive, receptive and pragmatic language disorders, AAC, articulation disorders, and fluency disorders. She focuses on building meaningful relationships with her students while helping them build confidence in their communication skills. Her interests include trying new cafes, reading, and going on nature walks with her husband.

Sharon Chang

Sharon Chang is a speech pathologist passionate about adult dysphagia and voice disorders in the oncology population. She completed her clinical fellowship program at the Oregon Health and Science University and became a senior speech pathologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center. After she married the love of her life in January 2026, she decided to transition to south TX to support her husband’s career. When she is not working, she loves to hang out with her cat and explore coffee shops and local restaurants.