Tucked away in the graduate lounge of the Department of Communicative Sciences and Deaf Studies at Fresno State is the speech-language pathology medical scrub closet. Behind the doors of one cabinet are about 100 brightly colored scrubs of all sizes, brands and materials. These were collected by Fresno State alumna Athena Alvarado, whose lived experiences inspired her to give back.

“During my medical externship while in the speech-language pathology graduate program, I had three children and had to stop working to attend my externships full-time,” said Alvarado, a speech-language pathologist working at a skilled nursing facility operated by Jericho Care Group. “So purchasing scrubs was a large expense.”

Now, 11 years into her career as a speech-language pathologist , Alvarado has worked closely with dozens of graduate students as a clinical supervisor. She said she knows firsthand the costs graduate students face when purchasing new scrubs, which can cost upwards of $200 or more for several pairs.

As part of the two-year graduate program, students are required to complete five semesters of clinical practicum, which includes medical externships in their final two semesters. These externships are unpaid and usually occur four to five days a week, on top of classes three days a week.

Motivated to make a difference, Alvarado began collecting the scrubs in early 2024 with just a simple flier asking for donations of new or gently used scrubs. She posted fliers in medical centers and distributed them to coworkers and friends in the profession. What started out as a small effort by word of mouth blossomed into something bigger as the speech-language pathology and local health care community came together to show their support. Within just a few weeks, she collected 100 new and gently used scrubs.

“Some medical placements require scrubs to be worn as part of their uniform,” Alvarado said. “These students are in their last year of a long, strenuous journey through the master’s degree program. By providing access to free scrubs, our closet will be reducing barriers and setting students up for success as they finish a critical part of their program.”

Alvarado and Sabrina Nii, the director of the Fresno State-Scottish Rite Speech and Language Clinic on campus, held the first scrub popup in January  – a few weeks before graduate speech-language pathology students were set to begin their medical externships.

Leilani Natividad, who graduated in May with her master’s degree in speech-language pathology, was among the first to benefit from the scrub closet.

“Graduate school is a stressful time, not only because of the academic rigor of the program, but also the financial demands it requires with unexpected expenses like purchasing appropriate clothing for our internship settings,” Natividad said. “This is why I greatly appreciated Athena and everyone who donated their scrubs, as it alleviated a little bit of financial stress from me. The scrub closet is an amazing initiative that will benefit so many students.” 

Popups will be hosted at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters, as well as in the summer, where graduate speech-language pathology students are able to pick out four pairs of medical scrubs each. However, the scrub closet is available throughout the year for those who need it. The next popup will be in August. 

For more information, or to donate to the scrub closet, contact Sabrina Nii at sanii@csufresno.edu or Athena Alvarado at athenaalva19@gmail.com.