ALUMNI In the Spotlight
MELISSA PETERS YANG, MS, CCC-SLP, TSSLD
Melissa Yang is a Molloy University graduate, speech-language pathologist, certified lactation counselor, and dedicated healthcare professional based in Los Angeles. She began her career working as both a speech-language pathologist and feeding therapist, gaining hands-on experience in homes and clinical settings across the city. Motivated by a passion for family- centered care, she went on to start her own in-home private practice, Speak Live Play, which offers speech, feeding, occupational, and physical therapy services. In addition to seeing patients through Speak Live Play, Melissa also serves as Manager of Rehabilitation Services at St. John’s Providence Hospital, where she leads a multidisciplinary team committed to excellence in patient care. Melissa was featured in the NY Times in 2020 for her work during the COVID pandemic.
EMILY ZERVAS M.S. CCC-SLP TSSLD
Emily Zervas, MS SLP 2024, is one of only two M.S. SLP students to participate twice in the international service- learning experience in Jamaica W.I. She also piloted our international telepractice program in Jamaica. She describes this as one of her most memorable Molloy experiences as she planned and executed weekly virtual sessions to support the communication of a 4-year-old neurodivergent client, and the client’s family. After graduation, Emily completed her clinical fellowship as an Early Intervention home care therapist with the North Shore Center for Speech, Language, and Swallowing Disorders. She worked with multiple families across Nassau County, conducting speech, language, and feeding assessments for children aged 1 to 3 years with communication and feeding and swallowing difficulties. She provided direct, play-based therapy using a family-centered approach to best support each child’s unique needs and individualized goals. During this time, Emily also presented with faculty and fellow alumni at the 2025 Annual Convention of the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), held in Seattle, Washington.
Upon earning her ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) and New York State SLP licensure, Emily spent the summer working at Camp ANCHOR, a year-round program for children and adults with special needs, where she was involved since 2014. She had the absolute pleasure of welcoming 17 new campers, ages 9 to 12, many of whom were nonspeaking and used AAC devices. Working in this environment further deepened her passion for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Most recently, Emily began a full-time position as a speech-language pathologist at the Manhattan Behavioral Center (MBC), a transdisciplinary center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She serves students with autism, and each student receives individualized services from a variety of disciplines. Emily reports her “ongoing interest in AAC, first sparked during Molloy’s clinical and AAC course experiences, continues to inspire my work as I help clients find their voice through a variety of communication modalities. I am endlessly grateful for the foundation Molloy provided; its faculty, clinical experiences, and supportive community truly set me on the path to a rewarding and meaningful career.”
PROFFESSOR LISSETTE VIZCARRONDO M.S., CCC-SLP
Professor Lissette K. Vizcarrondo MS CCC-SLP is the Clinical Coordinator for the Graduate SLP Program. I received my B.A in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology from CUNY Brooklyn College in 2018, and graduated from Molloy College with my MS in Speech Language Pathology in 2020- Go Lions!! Once I graduated, I jumped straight into an SNF during the COVID Pandemic. Being a new clinician during the pandemic was very difficult but I truly believe it helped shape my clinician judgement! Working with adults is something I have always known I wanted to do. I started observing FEES in the 11th and 12th grade through a program at my High School. I enjoyed spending my afternoons at South Nassau Hospital with different patients and observing the Supervising SLP and the way she taught her graduate interns. Fast forwarding to the Fall Semester of 2023, I began working as a Clinical Educator at Molloy University and participated in the Bethany House Program with the adult population. Back then, little did I know.. that opportunity opened many doors for me, and helped pave the path I walk today at Molloy. I later was asked to participate in the Jamaica Service Trip, then received the opportunity to become a Clinical Educator at the SLHC, where I would supervise the Jamaica Telehealth sessions. Not long after that did I receive the incredible opportunity to become the Clinical Coordinator for the MS Program. When I was a student, I always admired and looked up to all of my professors and clinical educators, I loved all of the feedback I could get! Now.. Being able to work side by side with them is truly an amazing experience. We are able to collaborate in so many ways and are consonantly learning from eachother. Fun Fact - As a student, she was s scheduled to go on the Jamaica Service Trip TWICE and was not able to due to unforseen circumstances. Looking back, I would have never thought I would be the Clinical Educator responsible for the Telehealth Clients we receive through the trip or go on the trip twice as a Clinical Educator rather than a student clinician. I think the younger version of me would be proud of who I am today.
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