Leslie Wegner '17

Leslie Wegner ‘17 knows the importance of finding one’s voice. From her studies in TWU’s Master’s of Science in Speech-Language Pathology, a career as an Army musician to owning a  business, Leslie has used her TWU education to make an impact in north Texas.

Leslie is the founder and owner of North Texas Voice & Speech, a medical speech-language pathology service specializing in the treatment of voice disorders. Leslie and her team provide on-site and in-home treatments for those with voice and swallowing disorders. They treat patients with Parkinson Disease, stroke, TBI, dementia, as well as those with occupational voice concerns — singers, actors, teachers, counselors, and lawyers. They also provide gender affirming voice care and accent modification services.

“The scope of a speech language pathologist is wide — from birth to hospice, from education to medicine, language to cognition, and swallowing and voice,” she says. “I think we will see even more opportunities for specialized treatment and education within our community.”

Leslie’s Texas Woman’s experience is marked by her time studying at the TWU Stroke Center — Dallas. “Two of my professors from the Stroke Center stick out in particular: Dr. Delania Walker-Batson and Robin Abellera,” she recounts. “They were amazing examples in how to treat the whole person.” Graduates of the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program at Texas Woman’s find successful careers in North Texas and across the country. “Our alumni network within the SLP community is huge!” she says. “Every time I turn around I run into TWU SLP graduates, and they are always the most wonderful people.”

As a veteran, Leslie has also found support post-graduation from Texas Woman’s through the Center for Women Entrepreneurs (CWE a part of the Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership. The CWE helped connect Leslie with fellow veteran entrepreneurs and was instrumental in helping her expand her private practice. In 2022, she received the Veteran Woman Entrepreneur Grant from the CWE that supports women veterans.

What is her advice to current students looking to succeed? “Say yes; seek out opportunities within your field; ask for a half hour meeting with someone you respect in the job you want; be open to new things. Always remember, if you don't like what you end up doing, it's not the end of the world—change it!”