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As a mother, wife, instructor, program director and endoscopist, Abilene Christian University faculty member Erika (Cook ’14) McLean hopes to make a difference in the lives of those around her and is eager to produce change in her students and her field. As a therapist, she finds joy in helping patients understand their options regarding swallow therapy through her mobile Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) program. As an alumna of the M.S. in speech-language pathology program and now an instructor and co-program director of ACU’s residential M.S.-SLP program, she serves as a mentor to her students and hopes to inspire them to always find ways to transform the world, use the knowledge and skills they receive through the program to empower others, and strive to be the best they can be.
A Lifelong Learner
Growing up, McLean had a love for helping others and knew it was her calling. With family members in the medical field, she planned to become a professional therapist. As a senior in high school she explored speech pathology and immediately fell in love, developing a passion for rehabilitation and medical therapy.
Her journey to Abilene Christian began in 2010 as an undergraduate in the SLP program. She immediately felt the mission of ACU – to educate and prepare students for Christian service and leadership – come to fruition in her life. The idea that ACU will guide you into your calling and prepare you for the workforce, no matter the career path you choose, particularly appealed to her.
“While enrolled at ACU, I always had this feeling that I was being prepared to go into the mission field,” McLean said. “That made my transition into my job a lot easier because I always believed it was my calling, and my professors believed it, too.”
With the support of her department, McLean learned about the possibilities of the field through interning, volunteering in the community and going on a mission trip to Brisbane, Australia, with WorldWide Witness. She took advantage of those opportunities and gained hands-on experience, shadowed professors and therapists, and learned from her peers.
“Those experiences pushed me out of my comfort zone, but ACU prioritizes encouraging students to go out and experience the world,” she said. “They provided the support and I’m truly grateful to have had those wonderful opportunities.”
Leading Change at ACU and in Abilene
As a master’s student, she interned at the Hendrick Medical Center – Acute, practicing medical speech therapy and shadowing her professors. After graduating from the master’s program in 2016, she landed a full-time job at Health South Rehabilitation Hospital of Abilene, now known as Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Abilene, began her career as a speech pathologist and became a therapy lead. Although she took great pleasure in treating patients and enjoyed the work she did, she discovered diagnostic procedures could take two weeks or longer.
Determined to improve turn-around times, she began researching a fast-growing resource in larger cities. The FEES program utilizes advanced fiberoptic technology to evaluate and identify swallowing issues in patients, providing them with specialized solutions to improve their quality of life.
Drawn in by this process, she and her husband, Mitchell McLean (’12), established Texas Swallow Diagnostics LLC in 2018, a mobile FEES program located in Abilene, Texas. She specializes in diagnosing patients and determining the necessary course of treatment in a fraction of the time. This innovative technology has benefited countless individuals in Abilene and set new standards in the field of speech pathology.
Full Circle
McLean remained connected to ACU and the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders beyond her departure, but it came as a shock to get a job offer as an adjunct professor. In the spring of 2023, she accepted the part-time position and now serves as a full-time professor under the leadership of her mentor, Dr. Terry Baggs, associate professor and department chair.
“I had so much respect for him as my professor,” she said about Baggs. “And now he’s one of my colleagues, so to come full circle has been one of the sweetest things. He’s been present in every aspect of my career, and it’s a blessing.”
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Now, McLean brings her wealth of knowledge and experience to the classroom, inspiring the next generation of speech and language pathologists. She enjoys incorporating the work of her private practice into the classroom and training graduate students to be skilled in fiberoptic evaluations, as well as motivating them to hone their skills, perfect their crafts and prepare to be blessings to their patients.
The support she receives from her spouse, friends and coworkers has made working two jobs extremely fulfilling, as well as raising two small children and her golden retriever, Tucker.
“I’m grateful for ACU and my support system,” McLean said. “Every day I get those light-bulb moments that remind me I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, and I can’t wait to see how the private practice grows and what innovations our students go on to create.”
Learn more about ACU’s MS-SLP program and faculty like McLean today! For questions about the residential Abilene program, call 325-674-6911.
–Senia R. Overstreet
Aug. 8, 2024