Welcome to my page! My name is Arriana Grimes and below are some important things to know about me.
Where Am I From?
I was born and raised in Saint Louis, Missouri. I lived with my mother and my five older brothers and sister, with me being the youngest of them all. Despite me having spent my whole life only in Saint Louis, my family still moved around a lot which made it hard for me to find a place I can truly call home and find my community as well. I honestly thought I would never be able to find a place where I felt at home, but then I started my college life and it changed everything!
My College
I am currently a first year student attending Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Class of 2026. I originally came to the school to double major in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, but I later changed my mind and switched to Speech Language Pathology and Audiology. I started my journey a little early than my peers along with 36 others who were enrolled in the Summer Success Program (SSP). While initially I was nervous, I became comfortable much faster than I thought I would! In the SSP, we were we able to get a little taste of what college classes and living on campus would be like, get early access to valuable information and resources, and most importantly make connections with staff and our fellow peers which I believe was the most important benefit this program gave me. My connections I made within the program has carried me so far!
For example, while eating out with my peers at Dairy Queen for Cougar Tuesdays, we met the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. He helped me to get a job at the SIUE Childcare Center because his wife works there. I have been working there since the start of the fall semester and I love it. With this being my first job, I was grateful to work in an environment I actually like rather than one I hate. This is just one of the many benefits my connections from the SSP has given me. I was also able to make a diverse friend group of different backgrounds and cultures which is amazing for me since I came from predominantly black neighborhoods. Getting to learn about different cultures besides my own helps me to become a more open-minded individual.
Throughout my time at SIUE, I plan to get my Bachelors Degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology with a Minor in Spanish. I also hope to be the president of the National Black Association of Speech Language and Hearing (NBASLH).
My Career Goals
After achieving my Bachelors Degree is Speech Language Pathology, I plan to continue my education to earn my Masters. I want to be a Pediatric Speech Therapist working in either a school, clinical or private practice environment. I have always had a passion of working with children, I was just confused on HOW exactly I want to work with them. I originally wanted to become an elementary school teacher, but I do not like the restrictions and workload that are put on teachers in America. Not only that, there is not much flexibility within the field. With Speech Path, there is flexibility of working with people of all ages in case I get burned out of working with children. I can also be my own boss by working in private practice. Overall, its a better career choice for me.
My Hobbies
There are various things I enjoy doing in my free time. I love to read dystopian or fantasy romance novels. My favorite book series so far is Delirium. It’s a dystopian romance in which love is considered a disease. I also love overanalyzing shows and movies to try and find the deeper messages hidden within them. My favorite series of all is How to get Away With Murder. Most of all, I absolutely enjoy creative writing! I am always coming up with different story ideas that I could potentially write and making characters and their backstories for them. I like writing fantasy, dystopian, romance, thrillers, and mysteries.