My name is McKenzie Heikens, and I am from a small town in northwest Iowa called Lake Park. I am currently pursuing a major in speech and hearing science, as well as a minor in aging and longevity with the intent of becoming a speech-language pathologist. I enjoy running, reading, and coffee in my spare time!

I became interested in the lab's mission of providing equal treatment in speech therapy to all populations when I had learned in a class at the University of Iowa about the health disparities that occur in the U.S. I am excited to join the CLD lab and learn more about how we can lessen those within our field.