Dalia Raya

Background

About Dalia Raya

A neurodivergent student of life, hoping to make my mark in the Behavioral Health field. As a kid, I slept a lot during the day. After a typical meal, I navigated migraines, belly aches, mood swings and extreme lethargy. As a teenager, I came to the internet to ask every question I could, to try to find an answer to why I felt the way I did. As an adult, I came to the conclusion that I had Celiac disease, which would later be confirmed by a primary care doctor. As a kid, I always liked the color pink. I loved pink foods, drinks, clothes and just about everything else that could have been pink. I wasn't very expressive, even when saying funny things. I wasn't a very physically affectionate kid but I couldn't see another person crying, without bursting into tears myself. As high school graduate, I was enamored with the health care field, where I discovered speech pathology. While acquiring my bachelors degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences, I would learn that my childhood preferences and skills were attributed to Asperger's Syndrome. As a kid, I didn't speak English. I only spoke Spanish and acquired English from ground zero, in school. As an adult, I am fluent and proficient in both languages, written and verbal. Bilingualism largely aids in my interpersonal skills, communications skills, code switching skills and comfort with communities of all cultural backgrounds. As a college graduate, I felt a natural inclination to the medical field. I wasn't curious about the surgeons with the scalpels or the nurses with the needles, but curious about the people in the white coats whose tools were their words. Being so integrated into the disabled community, in conjunction with my interests in the medical field led me to my interest in behavioral therapy, in hopes of ultimately becoming a behavioral therapist. Being able to put emotionally empathetic and culturally vast skills to practice in a way that benefits those around me is ideal for me in the professional industry. Empathy rather than sympathy is what makes the perfect candidate to make my mark. As an individual who navigates most every intersection of disability, my passion in life is to aid the community in which myself and others meet at these intersections. As a first generation student, I'm still navigating my way through the professional world, looking to find my place in a company where I can use my skills. If your interested in learning more about my professional interests, or have a place where I can accomplish these goals within a professional community, then feel free to contact me!