What Makes a Good Company Great?
We believe a great Company is one which is in the process of continuous renewal; one that anticipates the future and creates new solutions to meet its challenges and opportunities. A great Company communicates a strong sense of mission to its employees and clients. It embraces change and encourages employees to participate often and broadly in the affairs of the Company. It provides its employees with the tools they need to perform their professional duties effectively and realize the future. It promotes mutual responsibility and respect. S.E.E.D.S. is a Company that gives each of us the space we need to reach our potential as individual professionals and as a community of professionals.
Our vision is that everyone, everywhere will be able to communicate and learn effectively. Our mission is to provide the means so that each individual can reach his/her fullest potential.
History of S.E.E.D.S of the Willistons, Inc.
My dream had always been to be a teacher. However, when I finished my BA in 1975, I joined the thousands of other “baby boomers” who also wanted to give back to the community as a teacher. At Hunter College, Education (even though having a 36 credit requirement) was considered to be a minor. I had chosen to major in communications. I was active in the speech and debate club. It was during this time that I took a course, “Introduction to Speech Disorders.” I knew nothing about speech therapy, but this fit into my schedule and so enrolled. It was not until years later that I realized how the convenience of this course changed my life.
I graduated in January of 1975 and there was a 5 year wait on the NYC list and impossible to get a teaching job on Long Island. However, fortunately for me, through friends, I got a call, asking me to teach 7th grade science for the next few weeks at a local catholic school. A teacher had been in a car accident and would be out for at least 6 weeks. From there I took over a teacher’s second grade class at St.Margaret’s in Middle Village, when that teacher went to have her baby. While planning my wedding for that June, I had to apply for graduate school. Not ever planning to work full time (it wasn’t customary back then), I applied to graduate school for Speech Therapy. Since we were planning to live on Long Island, I enrolled in Adelphi. I still didn’t know much about the field, but thought I could always work part time after my children were grown.
In 1980, when I graduated from Adelphi, and already had two children, I knew that I couldn’t put off working until they were grown. I needed to fulfill my requirements of a CFY. I could do it in two years, working part time. I got a job at BOCES traveling around in a portable classroom going to private schools. I enjoyed it, but didn’t see too much progress since the children were only seen once a week and many never got the notebooks from the classroom to their home. I worked for 8 years in a friend’s private paractice, working part time and adding to my family. In 1990, I wanted to spend a little more time at home and began seeing a few clients a week in the house. I started working in the guest room and then moved to the basement. Gradually over the years, I became busier and busier. Eventually, I hired a couple of people to work part time. We put up some dividers in the basement.
By 2005, the practice was growing and we were growing out of the basement. I started my search and the rents were exorbitant. My sister, Mary Ann, suggested we buy a building together. After much searching, we agreed, bought and renovated our present location. Thus S.E.E.D.S. of the Willistons was born.
I see the future of S.E.E.D.S. as one of continued growth, both for the Company and for its practitioners. I intend to keep developing our programs to keep up with the changing times. Keeping abreast of what is happening in the field is also important so that I can continually infuse the clinic with “evidenced based practices.” My continued goal is to have all of our clients reach their communicative and educational potential, while our employees enjoy the personal satisfaction that comes from helping people by doing the work that they love.
Welcome to S.E.E.D.S. of the Willistons!!!
Eileen Mulholland Devaney
President/Director
July 2012
Directions
From the West: Take the LIE to Exit 37, Make a right onto Willis Avenue. Go about 1.7 miles to Hillside Avenue, make a left, Office is on your right.
From the West: Take the Northern State Parkway (Grand Central). Get off at exit 28 – Willis Avenue. Make a right. Go about 1.4 miles to Hillside Avenue, make a left onto Hillside Avenue. Office is on your right.
From the East: Take Northern State Parkway to exit 31. Make a hard right, south on Glen Cove Road (for 1/4 mile), make a right on East Williston / Hillside Avenue Rte 25B (for 1.2 miles). Office is on left just before Willis Avenue.
Professional Affiliations
