Three years ago, Celina Oduber, a passionate and professional speech therapist, managed to bring about a positive change in the community of Aruba. With her accumulated years of experience, she chose to stay and invest in her island and its people by starting her own practice to share her knowledge with the community. A success she now credits partly to Qredits, a crucial partner in this achievement. After hearing about Qredits in a casual manner, she decided to investigate more about what they offer, finding a solid foundation to take the step and start her own practice, “Oduber Onderwijs en Logopediepraktijk.” This practice is not just a business; it is Celina’s mission to help children and adults in their development of communication skills.

"During my studies, my fondest memory is my internship in Shanghai, China. I returned to Aruba in 2012, where I worked as a speech therapist at the Multidisciplinary Center, providing speech therapy care in 32 schools. This period inspired me to evaluate which skills I wanted to develop and take on the challenge to lead the innovation of Arubalening services for education in Aruba and abroad. The goal was to see our team develop their skills, contribute to new study opportunities for our students in Canada, create collaboration between government and private sector stakeholders, and streamline the application process through the Arubalening Portal. These are some of the projects that made my time at the Department of Education magical. In 2021, my intention was to emigrate, but I decided to follow my heart and believe in the guidance I could offer to children, adults, and teachers experiencing communication challenges. This led to the creation of Oduber Onderwijs en Logopediepraktijk at my home."

During a typical detour with her children, Celina stopped at the refreshment stand (Djispi) to visit Setty and Suzy. It was there, in a spontaneous conversation, that she first heard about Qredits. This moment motivated Celina to investigate more about Qredits. She started gathering information through their website and personal contact. She found the information “clear and concise,” as she describes it, regarding the application process and any additional questions. The online information combined with personal contact was one of the essential factors for Celina to take the leap and make her investment. Her relationship with Qredits became a determining factor for what is now her pride and joy, “Oduber Onderwijs en Logopediepraktijk.”

“In my journey, I encountered a substantial number of challenges that gave me the opportunity to choose how I wanted to lead my personal and professional trajectory. There were many moments of doubt. But with patience, determination, and support from my loved ones and Qredits, I am immensely grateful for the three years of Oduber Onderwijs en Logopediepraktijk.”

Celina explains that all aspects of language (reading, listening, writing, and speaking) are impacted by vocabulary. To communicate effectively with others, vocabulary cannot be overlooked. An extensive and diverse vocabulary is essential for reading development. To read and understand, our children need to know 95% of the words in a text. 'Father eats a sandwich with cheese in the morning.' How many words in this sentence do you think our six-year-olds know? Various international studies show that children with an extensive and diverse vocabulary enjoy their educational journey much more. The correlation between vocabulary and school success is obvious! But school is not the only external factor that can contribute to an extensive and diverse vocabulary. The “home situation” is precisely an external factor that impacts vocabulary development. Children raised rich in words, where parents talk to them every day, play games with them every day, have the opportunity to enrich their vocabulary at the same time. These children start their first class rich in words.

"In five years, I hope to provide children, adults, and educators with practical tools in a creative way. To achieve this, I recently registered to participate in OSTAD 200 Inc. at Impacthub, providing speech therapy to people who, due to neurological illnesses (Stroke, Dementia, Parkinson's, etc.), can no longer eat or drink safely and/or experience communication challenges."