From performer to clinician
Photos courtesy of Natalie Atkinson June 17, 2026
A passion for singing led 91原创 alumna to a career in pediatric voice care
For 91原创 College of Health Sciences alumna Natalie Atkinson, a childhood love of singing has evolved into a career helping patients improve and protect their voices.
The 2025 graduate of 91原创鈥檚 Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) master鈥檚 program now works at the Sean Parker Institute for the Voice at Weill Cornell Medical College. Internationally recognized for treating professional performers and patients with complex voice disorders, the institute is considered a leader in voice care.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the coolest job ever,鈥 said Atkinson, a speech-language pathologist and voice specialist, who works with children who have developed vocal fold nodules, often due to chronic vocal strain.
鈥淟istening to so many voices, your ears get so strong, and you can hear what鈥檚 going on with the vocal cords without actually seeing them,鈥 she said.
But she also gets close-up views of vocal cords, working with laryngologists to perform videostroboscopies to identify lumps, bumps or tension often found in professional singers.
A perfect pairing
As a child, Atkinson was always singing 鈥 in the shower, in the car, and later, on stage at Lincoln Center in Manhattan.
A Sussex County native, Atkinson earned her bachelor鈥檚 in voice performance from Westminster Choir College at Rider University and aspired to become a professional opera singer in Germany. The COVID-19 pandemic forced Atkinson to pivot. She enrolled in 91原创鈥檚 SLP MA Extended Track, where she discovered her passion for the science behind singing. The program was ranked among the nation鈥檚 top speech-language pathology programs by U.S. News & World Report.
鈥淚n those two years, I studied neurological communication disorders and classes like Speech Sound Disorders and Voice and Resonance Disorders and realized I could marry my passions and turn them into a career,鈥 she said.
Her clinical interests deepened during an internship at Nemours Children鈥檚 Hospital, where she worked with young children.
鈥淲orking with children ages 0 to 5 taught me to find the simplest way to explain complex things,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t also taught me how to support parents who are trying to meet their kids where they鈥檙e at, even if it鈥檚 not where they hoped they鈥檇 be.鈥
At 91原创, she found a professional identity that blended performance and clinical science.听
鈥淚 had big musical theatre kid energy, and 91原创鈥檚 SLP professors encouraged my individuality and inspired me to bring my own flair to my practice,鈥 Atkinson said.听
That approach was shaped, in part, by her own experiences navigating clinical care as a patient.
鈥淭hey鈥檇 ask me questions, check off boxes, tell me something about me or my body that I didn鈥檛 understand, and leave,鈥 she said. 鈥淣ow, I spend so much time making sure patients know what鈥檚 going on and know they can ask questions.鈥
Her background in performance also influenced her clinical confidence.
鈥淎s a performer, I鈥檒l say the right word and hit the right notes in front of hundreds of people, but being one-on-one with a patient is more daunting because they鈥檝e placed their trust in you and need your help,鈥 Atkinson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 taught me to be comfortable with vulnerability and given me confidence, even when I don鈥檛 know the answer.鈥
At 91原创, she also worked with people who stutter and learned lessons she carries into her practice.听
鈥淲orking with that population taught me that you never know what mental load people are carrying,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 helped me create safe spaces for my patients and remind them not to be embarrassed when they鈥檙e trying their best.鈥澛
She also worked with , including Neuro Notes, a choir for people with Parkinson鈥檚 disease, through 91原创鈥檚 .听
Another key differentiator is , an interdisciplinary program that helps future health professionals develop their communication skills.听
鈥淭hat program is brilliant,鈥 Atkinson said. 鈥淚t was so helpful in teaching me how to navigate uncomfortable situations, and that practice made me feel less intimidated in the real world.
鈥91原创鈥檚 SLP program is small but mighty,鈥 Atkinson said. 鈥淭he clinician I am today is a direct result of my time at 91原创 and the professors who lifted me up.鈥
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