Excitement, relief, and a sense of pride filled the room this past Friday as Longwood’s second-year graduate students in Speech-Language Pathology slipped into their white coats for the first time. The annual White Coat Ceremony is more than a tradition—it’s a turning point, signaling a shift from the classroom to the professional world.

For Phoebe Bilby, the coat represents perseverance as much as it does possibility:

“Getting my white coat means that I’m ready for change and that I survived my first year of graduate school!”
— Phoebe Bilby, Class of 2026

Her classmate, Sarah Caldwell, saw the moment as a springboard into the career she has been preparing for:

“It means that I’m ready for clinical practice and I’m excited to make Longwood proud in the real world.”
— Sarah Caldwell, Class of 2026

The ceremony is a symbolic passing of the torch—celebrating what the students have already achieved and preparing them for what comes next.

Program Director Dr. Ann Cralidis reminded the group of the responsibility their coats carry:

“The White Coat Ceremony marks an important milestone for our second-year graduate students in Speech-Language Pathology. At this stage in their training, students are transitioning from classroom learning and the support of an in-house clinic, to more advanced clinical practice, where they will work more independently with clients and patients. The white coat symbolizes professionalism, responsibility, and a commitment to ethical and compassionate care. Today’s ceremony celebrates this transition and affirms each student’s readiness to serve as a trusted member of a professional team of providers.”
— Dr. Ann Cralidis, Program Director

With coats on their shoulders and futures ahead of them, Longwood’s graduate CSD students now step forward ready to bring skill, compassion, and determination into clinics and communities—carrying not only the Longwood name, but also the voices of those they are training to serve.