La Salle feels like a family

Haylie Doan, '26, M.A. '27, talks about what the La Salle community means to her personal and academic success.

Haylie Doan, '26, M.A. '27 had the opportunity to travel to Rome in October 2024 with other La Salle students as part of the Synod on Synodality.

Haylie Doan, '26, M.A. '27, thrives on connecting at La Salle University, be it in the classroom, around campus, or with her Christian fellowship group. Being in a community with others is a theme that runs through Doan's experience at La Salle-by design-and it's a big part of why she was drawn to LaSalle.

A junior from Enola, Pa., Doan is enrolled in the five-year Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program, which will allow her to graduate from La Salle with both bachelor's and master's degrees. Doan said the sense of community was one of the first things she noticed when she came for her campus tour.

Haylie Doan, '26, M.A. '27 is enrolled in the five-year Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) program, which will allow her to graduate from La Salle with both bachelor's and master's degrees.

"When I visited, people already knew my name and where I was from," Doan said. "It felt like a family here. The people are why I like being here, definitely the people. I love all the friends that I've made."

Having a place where she can be herself and be involved also tipped the scale in La Salle's favor for Doan.

"It's the people and everything I get to do. There are always events going on," she said. "There are many clubs and organizations that I'm involved in. I'm an ambassador. I run the Christian Fellowship Group. I'm on the Honors Council. I'm on NISH, the board. There are all different things that I get to do, and events that our clubs can participate in."

Doan is especially proud of her role in the La Salle Christian Fellowship Group.

Haylie Doan, '26, M.A. '27 is especially proud of her role in the La Salle Christian Fellowship Group.

"I absolutely love my Christian Fellowship Group on campus," Doan said. "At the end of last year, it was just me and my friend Abby and maybe two more girls. And now, we have a group of almost 30 people coming. So, just being able to create that community where people with faith, Christians of all different denominations, can come, and they can feel supported. They can have a community on campus, not just when we meet each week, but also when they're just walking to their classes."

This sense of community has permeated Doan's student experience, she said: "I like that wherever I go, there's usually somebody that I know. There's always somebody to talk to; If there isn't somebody I know, I know I can make a friend easily. And I really like that La Salle gives me the ability to balance my course load and my social life. I'm able to get all the work done in my classes, get my good grades, but I still have time to hang out with my friends and go to basketball games and everything like that.

"La Salle is just honestly a great community. I didn't know anything about what to expect going into college, but I can honestly say, that I'm glad I chose LaSalle. " - Haylie Doan, '26, M.A. '27

In the classroom, Doan feels challenged and supported, also.

"I joined the SLP program, and then, I kind of fell in love with it, really. I love my professors; they're just so interesting and into whatever they're teaching, and I really love that," Doan remarked. "I also got some good hands-on experience in my classes. The professors definitely keep me interested in what I'm learning. I feel like that's a really big, important part. Also, there are opportunities for research and, my professors help me make sure that I do well in all my SLP classes."

In the spring 2025 semester, Doan will work with her first client in a local clinic.

"I'm pretty excited about that," she said.

As she gains real-world experience and works toward graduation, she is confident that La Salle has prepared her to land a job and build a fulfilling career where she can help people communicate-a skill that's fundamental to building that sense of community that she values.

"La Salle is just honestly a great community. I didn't know anything about what to expect going into college, but I can honestly say, that I'm glad I chose LaSalle," Doan said.