Recipient of Leadership Award for Providing Exemplary Healthcare Services to People with Developmental Disabilities
Mary Kay Bradley is an assistant professor and speech-language pathologist in the department of communication sciences and disorders at Nazareth College. She is also the supervisor for the speech-language graduate students at Kids Club, an after school program at Nazareth College for children with physical or communication disorders.
In 2008, Kids Club began as a week long interdisciplinary program during the children's spring break from school. Under the leadership of Mary Kay and other professors in Nazareth's School of Health and Human Services, Kids Club became a place where children with special needs could develop their motor and communication skills – while still having fun.
Mary Kay earned her master's in speech language pathology from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and her bachelor's in speech language pathology and audiology from SUNY Fredonia. During her undergraduate education, Mary Kay struggled with what path to take in her studies. While special education presented her with many possibilities to help children, ultimately speech language pathology was her true calling. She made sure to use her profession to help children with special needs throughout her ten years as a speech language pathologist at the Mary Cariola Children's Center, and for the last 16 years at Nazareth College, where she teaches disability-based courses, and in her involvement with Kids Club.
Since 2008, Kids Club has evolved into an after school program that spans eight weeks each semester. Mary Kay, the faculty and students, hope to grow the program to include adults with special needs and even expand it into the summer months.
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