Words matter—just ask David Solomon.

The English major with a linguistics minor has excelled in his coursework. For example, Solomon has presented a research project on the maintenance of French in medieval England and completed an independent study on the phonetics and phonology of English and Hebrew.

And even his co-curricular activities point toward the power of language.

He has served as vice president of education for Oak Park Toastmasters, encouraging the development of communication and leadership skills in the public fora. He is president of the Alliance for DisAbility Awareness, where he works to promote the recognition of disability awareness and has coordinated events like Erase the ‘R’ Word. And he has been treasurer of the Jewish Student Organization, where he, among other responsibilities, encouraged dialogue between Jewish and Muslim students.

As Professor Daniel Davis put it, ”As with his academic studies, David’s extracurricular activities on and off campus show his strong leadership, forward-thinking creativity and a dedicated integrity to those in need of help, understanding and justice.”

Solomon said his involvement on campus and throughout the community allows him to connect with students who have different stories.

“When I am participating in events, it allows me to meet new people, learn about their cultural backgrounds and share my own with others too,” he said. “I’ve met many wonderful and inspirational people.”

Following graduation in December 2018, Solomon plans to become a secondary education teacher and has an interest in speech pathology.

“David’s career plans to study speech pathology are fully consonant with the qualities that he has shown in his academic and extracurricular activities. In studying speech pathology, David will combine his knack for linguistics with his desire to help individuals living with disabilities” Davis said. “I have no doubt that he will succeed in his goal of using linguistics to help those with disabilities to have better lives.”