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**Give Thanks. Give Back. Empower the Future of Communication.**

This season, as we reflect on and give thanks for those who have shaped our professional journeys, the **Communication Disorders Foundation of Virginia (CDF)** invites you to honor those who made a difference in your life—by helping to make a difference in someone else’s.
For more than 40 years, CDF has supported the next generation of **speech-language pathologists and audiologists** through scholarships that ease the financial burden of graduate study and empower passionate students to pursue careers devoted to helping others communicate, connect, and thrive.
Your gift today is more than a donation—it’s a tribute.
When you contribute to CDF, you can **give in honor or in memory** of a mentor, colleague, professor, or friend who inspired you along your path. We will gratefully acknowledge your gift and the individual you are recognizing, sharing your gratitude in a way that celebrates the impact of their dedication to our field.
Your generosity ensures that talented students—tomorrow’s professionals—have the support they need to change lives through communication.

Meet the 2025 CDF SCHOLARSHIP Recipients

Brenna Prunty, an SLP graduate student at Radford University, has been awarded the Rita Purcell-Robertson Scholarship in the amount of $4,000.

Brenna Prunty

Brenna Prunty is a second-year graduate student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders program at Radford University. She enjoys working with individuals across the lifespan but has a particular passion for pediatrics and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Her clinical interests include neurodiversity-affirming care, early intervention, and supporting functional communication in children. As a future speech-language pathologist, Brenna hopes to work in a pediatric setting where she can provide individualized, strengths-based therapy and advocate for inclusive and empowering family-centered practices.

Bailee Poore, an SLP graduate student at Hampton University, has been awarded the David H. Narburgh Scholarship in the amount of $4,000.

Bailee Poore

Bailee Poore is a second-year graduate student in the Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) program at Hampton University. She is currently completing clinical training with a focus on early intervention and pediatric populations, particularly children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, developmental delays, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Bailee is passionate about addressing disparities in access to speech and language services, especially for children from historically underserved communities. As a student clinician, she brings a culturally responsive, strengths-based approach to therapy, and is committed to empowering families through education and support.
Bailee’s long-term goal is to open a private practice that provides affordable, high-quality speech and language services to low-income families. She hopes to serve as both a skilled clinician and an advocate, ensuring all children—regardless of background—receive the support they need to thrive.

Erica Munford, an SLP graduate student at James Madison University, has been awarded the Pat Thomas Dewey Scholarship in the amount of $3,000.

Erica Munford

Erica Munford is currently a speech-language pathology graduate student at James Madison University intending to graduate in May 2026. Erica will be starting her first clinical externship in August at Children’s Hospital of Kings Daughters in Harbour View where she will work in the pediatric outpatient setting. After graduate school, she intends to work in a medical speech-language pathology setting. Erica enjoys working with adults immensely and has had many influential experiences in the on-campus clinic at JMU that led her down this path. Long-term, she wants to work in the acute care hospital setting to help people who have just experienced a stroke or traumatic brain injury. She is grateful for this opportunity to learn and make a difference in people's lives and is excited to see where this ever-changing field takes her as a clinician!

Our mission

The mission of the Communication Disorders Foundation of Virginia is to serve as a non-profit organization of volunteers who support the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology through fundraising for scholarships awarded to students in Virginia's communication sciences and disorders programs, and to support achievement and honor excellence in student and colleague accomplishments.

Scholarship Information

OUR History

The Foundation began in 1985 as a committee of the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV) with the purpose of raising and awarding scholarship funds for graduate studies in the field of communication disorders. A year later, it was established as an independent foundation with a Board of Trustees and 501(c) (3) status.