Katy Buoncristiano gives a thumbs up from the bottom of the world. Pictured here, she’s at the ceremonial South Pole marker, about 850 miles south of McMurdo, where she was stationed in Antarctica while serving in the U.S. Air Force.

Redefining her mission

Article by Amy Cherry Photo by Evan Krape and courtesy of Katy Buoncristiano July 03, 2025

Air Force veteran finds new mission in speech therapy at UD

When Katy (Mausert) Buoncristiano was just 3, she suffered sudden hearing loss from chronic ear infections, which delayed her language development. Doctors warned her mother she'd need special education services, like speech therapy, for life and would never play an instrument or thrive in school.

“I can’t imagine hearing that as the mom of a 3-year-old,” said Buoncristiano.

Unsure if her daughter’s hearing would return, Buoncristiano’s mother, Jackie Mausert, sought speech therapy, which taught her to communicate with her daughter through pictures. Speech-language pathologist (SLP) Heather Lynn Aragona was the first person to reassure Mausert that her daughter would be OK.

“Heather Lynn was an angel and my greatest blessing,” said Buoncristiano. “Over time, my hearing recovered, and my communication skills improved.”

Buoncristiano’s experience with an auditory processing disorder taught her to stand up for herself and encouraged her to pursue a career as an SLP, so she could uplift children and families in the same way Aragona did for her.

Now, 29, Buoncristiano is a retired C-130 aircraft loadmaster with the U.S. Air Force, earning her master’s in speech-language pathology at the University of Delaware.

Katy Buoncristiano, a second-year speech-language pathology master’s student, was inspired to pursue her career as a speech-language pathologist by her childhood hearing loss and her military service.

From the South Pole to Speech Therapy

Inspired by a love for discipline and structure she discovered while rowing in college, Buoncristiano enlisted in the Air Force in 2017.

“School just wasn’t syncing for me at the time, but I craved structure,” said Buoncristiano. “I was young and wanted to see the world.”

She was stationed in Antarctica at McMurdo Station, the largest scientific research station on the continent, managed by the National Science Foundation.

“I remember thinking: Can we survive out here?”

But the first time she touched down on board a giant C-130 outfitted with skis was thrilling.

“The snow-capped mountains were breathtaking; there were penguins on the runway, and seals lounging in the frigid water,” she recalled.

She jokes as an upstate New Yorker that Antarctica isn’t as cold as you’d expect. But her missions largely took place in the summer, when it’s less cold in the South Pole, and there’s 24/7 daylight. But still, conditions were extreme.

“You needed oxygen to avoid hypoxia at that altitude,” she said. “But I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.”

During her service, Buoncristiano met her husband, also a C-130 Loadmaster. While his missions took him to the heat of the Middle East, she worked in some of the coldest places on Earth. After he retired in 2023 in his native Delaware, she soon followed.

“I realized something was missing,” she said. “That something was connecting with and helping people on a human level.”

Resilience and Grit

Buoncristiano found the human connection missing in her life at UD’s College of Health Sciences.

“To be a good SLP, you must be a human first. You need to listen to families and understand their needs and build trust, especially in those early conversations when parents feel overwhelmed, like my mom did.”

Buoncristiano obtained her bachelor’s in human development online while serving in the Air Force, but hadn’t been in a physical classroom in nearly a decade. She said professors in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders played a critical role in her transition.

“Clinicians like Kimberly Van Buren and Associate Professor Giovanna Marini hold a special place in my heart. They’ve supported me on another level and helped me adjust to civilian life and in-person school.”

She has also found purpose through participating in various Life Participation Groups, offered by UD’s Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, and the Brain-WISE program.

“The knowledge I gained through Brain-WISE helped me treat patients with cognitive challenges in the clinic,” she said. “I’m so invested in Dr. Matthew Cohen’s research; he’s now my capstone mentor.”

Now, in her second year of the program, this fall, Buoncristiano will complete a clinical rotation at Beyond Speech Therapy, a private practice. In the spring, she’ll gain experience in a hospital setting at Bayhealth.

“My heart is set on working with kids, but I’m excited to learn in both settings,” she said.

Katy Buoncristiano served as a C-130 aircraft loadmaster with the U.S. Air Force for several years before enrolling at UD to earn her master’s in speech-language pathology.

While in the military, Buoncristiano was one of only five women in the loadmaster shop. She pushed herself to prove her capabilities—not just to those around her, but to herself, drawing strength from her childhood.

“My childhood and the military taught me resilience and grit. They taught me to keep pushing forward,” she said.

Those lessons continue to guide her today, as she prepares for a career helping others find their voice.

“The military showed me how to accept failure and learn from it. Those are skills I’ll use every day as an SLP, advocating for children and their families.”

Veteran and Military Connected Students

The University of Delaware understands the commitment and sacrifices military members and their families make during their time of service. This is why staff and faculty at the University are committed to helping student veterans and military service members in their transition from military to college life. For more information, visit the Veteran and Military Connected Students website.