How We Got Here
Welcome to EnriqueSer Therapy LLC!! Thank you for visiting our page- whether you are considering working together or interested in our blog. This will be a space to provide therapy tips, discuss topics in speech-language pathology or just to say hello and provide updates! Our first blog post is an introduction to who we are and what inspired the company. I am Andrea Marquina, and I will tell you a little bit more about EnriqueSer Therapy LLC.
When I first started my journey towards becoming an SLP, I was at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I was truly unsure of what career to pursue, I only knew that I wanted to work in a field where I could give back to my community in the healing arts, through education or community based work. I researched majors in the school of health sciences, the school of education and the school of social work. It was in these searches that I discovered the field of Speech-Language Pathology. I knew instantly that I found what I wanted to do. Would you believe me if I told you I didn’t see myself as an SLP in the school setting or an SLP that ever owned her own practice? Now, here I am writing a blog post for my company and a passion for working in the schools. Never say never!
My goal with EnriqueSer Therapy is what my goal has always been- to support my community. I am a first generation Mexican-American. My parents immigrated to the United States in 1988 and settled in southern California, where I was born and raised alongside my older brother and sister. My first language is Spanish and has always been a part of my identity. I first learned to communicate in Spanish, to express my feelings in Spanish, to pray in Spanish and to love in Spanish. Now, I continue to use my first language with family, friends and in my work as a Bilingual Speech-language pathologist. I value the importance of evidence based practices in working with multilingual populations and I empathize with families whose native language is not English. I hope that at EnriqueSer Therapy, the students and families we work with feel cared for, understood and that your home language and culture is always respected, loved and nurtured.
My brother Enrique passed away in the Fall of 2021, it was a sudden and unexpected loss. He was my best friend and I continue to find him in little and big moments, places and things. Whether it's a restaurant he loved, a beautiful landscape or a necklace with an “E,” which you will always see me wearing. Enriquecer translates to English as “to enrich.” It is a Spanish-English cognate and it is intentionally spelled with “ser”, which translates in English to “to be.” The naming of EnriqueSer Therapy is another way that I keep his memory close. I love talking about my brother, please feel free to ask me questions about who he was and how he inspired a lot of what I do.
After working full time in the schools for seven years and experience in home health, telehealth and private pediatric clinics I made the move to start my own company. This is a dream I have had since my second year as an SLP and one thing or another kept me from starting. However, I believe that you arrive at everything in life just in time! We are in a time in which DEI initiatives are being threatened, programs are being cut and immigrant communities are being targeted. EnriqueSer Therapy LLC serves all persons with communication disorders and we value diversity and inclusion. EnriqueSer Therapy LLC was founded to respond to the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse populations. This may look like providing direct services, helping school districts meet the needs of their students or sharing information with clinicians and organizations looking to increase their knowledge, comfort and competency in working with CLD populations. We look forward to working together!
Andrea y Enrique at her graduation.
