Masters Graduate Assistants
Laurel Copes
Graduate Student
Laurel graduated in 2018 with a degree in English literature from Louisiana State University. After working for a time in the editorial field, she found her love for speech-language pathology and she is in her second year of the speech-language pathology program here at USC. She is interested in pediatrics, with a specific focus on feeding and medically complex individuals, and has been enjoying her time working in the family experiences lab!
Peyton Ryba
Graduate Student
Peyton is a first-year graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology Master’s program at the University of South Carolina. She graduated from Ohio University in May 2023 where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Psychology. In the future, Peyton is interested in working with adults with neurogenic communication disorders in the medical setting.
Helena Corda
Graduate Student
Helena is a first-year graduate student in the Speech-Language Pathology Master’s program at the University of South Carolina. She graduated in May of 2023 from Michigan State University with majors in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Psychology. In the future, she hopes to work with the adult population in a hospital or rehabilitation setting. She is excited to grow her clinical experiences in the graduate program and looks forward to getting more involved in the lab by building connections with everyone!
Kira Cooley
Graduate Student
Kira is a first-year graduate student in the speech-language pathology master’s program here at the University of South Carolina. She graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in May of 2023, where she received her degree in speech and hearing sciences. She is excited to take part in the lab this year.
Elysse Trevino
Graduate Student
She is a second-year graduate student in the Speech Language Pathology Master’s program at UofSC. In December of 2021, she completed her bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a concentration in communication neuroscience and a minor in music. In the future, she hopes to work with pediatric feeding and swallowing, but is excited to explore all clinical scopes of practice. She also looks forward to exploring more of the research side of communication and making connections with everyone in the lab!
Nadia Sabeh Ayon
Graduate Student
Nadia is a second-year graduate student in the Speech and Language Pathology Masters Program (MS-RES) at the University of South Carolina. In 2019, Nadia graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology from the Saint-Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon. She recently joined the Family Experiences Lab and is very excited to be an active member of the team.
Emma Neuhauser
Graduate Student
Emma is a graduate student at USC in the speech-language pathology master’s program. She graduated from Miami University in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and audiology with minors in ASD and Special Education. In the future, Emma is excited to work with children with disabilities who use AAC devices!
