Jenée Luquette James, B.A., SLPA
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant
Jenée Luquette James is a speech-language pathology assistant, as well as a professional opera singer, in the Denver Metro area. She first began her professional journey with an undergraduate degree in Music - Vocal Performance from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Next, she continued her educational path in music at Louisiana State University, where she obtained her master’s degree, again in the field of Music - Vocal Performance. Much later Jenée completed the speech-language pathology assistant program through the University of Colorado at Boulder, and she has thoroughly enjoyed the world of speech therapy ever since!
While it may seem like vocal performance and the field of speech-language pathology have nothing in common, they actually do have quite a bit of overlap. When Jenée was performing operas and musicals all over the United States, she became a private voice and piano teacher. After nearly six years of teaching music privately, she realized that her primary interests were actually in the areas of language, diction, and the vocal mechanism, prompting her to explore career options in the field of speech therapy. While researching professional options, Jenée realized that she had actually previously taken nearly three quarters of the prerequisite classes for her speech-language pathology assistant certification throughout her previous degrees. As a result, she was able to finish her program in under a year and with a perfect GPA. Her extensive background as a voice and music teacher has allowed for her to make a smooth transition into the field of speech and language therapy. While she loves working as a speech-language pathology assistant, one day Jenée aspires to be a dual singing and voice therapy specialist.
When not working, Jenée is the soprano section leader at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Denver, and also performs with the Central City Opera as a touring artist. In her free time, Jenée loves spending time with her husband, daughter, and step-daughter, playing with her two dogs, Trixie and Pepper, and cuddling with her cat, Ed.
Mary Soloski, M.S., CF-SLP
Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Fellow
Mary Soloski is currently a speech-language pathology clinical fellow, who recently just moved to the Denver Metro area from Pennsylvania. Mary obtained an undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania Western University (PWU), majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Most recently, she continued her professional journey at Pennsylvania Western University, obtaining her master’s degree in the field of speech-language pathology shortly before moving to Denver.
During Mary’s prior educational onsite experience, she discovered her passion of working with children who have various communication difficulties. Throughout this experience, she worked at an Intermediate Unit school where she provided therapy for an array of diagnoses. The majority of Mary’s caseload throughout her previous experience included children with Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, language-based learning disabilities, social pragmatic communication disorders, and the utilization of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. Working with these populations inspired Mary to continue gaining experience across other areas in the field of speech-language pathology, including for treatment of fluency disorders and further experience in language-based learning disabilities. This is what prompted her to choose to complete her clinical fellowship with Blossoming Minds Therapy.
In Mary’s spare time, she enjoys going for scenic walks and hikes, searching for new coffee shops around Denver, spending time with her friends and family, cooking a new meal in the kitchen, and kicking back with her cat, Katara. Coming from Pittsburgh, where there was no NBA team, Mary has enjoyed cheering for the Denver Nuggets, especially throughout their championship winning season.
Lauren Erickson, B.A., SLPA
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant
Lauren Erickson is a speech-language pathology assistant, who recently moved to the Denver Metro area from Washington State. Lauren acquired a bachelors of science degree from Northern Arizona University, where she majored in communication sciences and disorders, with a double minor in the areas of disability studies and biology. Additionally, she completed her speech-language pathology assistant certification through Northern Arizona University as well.
After graduating with her undergraduate degree, Lauren began working as a speech-language pathology assistant with a school district in Washington State. During this time, she gained extensive experience working with students of all ages, ranging from preschool age to those in high school. Throughout her time in the public school setting, Lauren had the opportunity to work with students who had various diagnoses, including many who were diagnosed with receptive, expressive, and pragmatic language disorders. Additionally, during this time, Lauren found her passion to be working with kids and young adults to support them in achieving their communication goals.
In Lauren’s free time, she loves to go hiking and rock climbing, as well as doing anything outside with her friends and dog, Miso. She also enjoys reading, cooking, and tending to her houseplants.