3 Questions with a Future Occupational Therapist
Chatham’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy program offers students the opportunity to hone their leadership skills, gain real-world fieldwork experience, and cultivate professional growth as globally-minded leaders in healthcare. We caught up with future occupational therapist and current Chatham OT student Stephanie Cascio to see what led her to Chatham’s OTD program and where she is headed next. Check it out—
STEPHANIE CASCIO,
2nd year OT Student
What led you to decide to become an Occupational Therapist and study in Chatham’s OTD program?
SC: I was a preschool teacher for the past 7+ years working with various therapists and other support staff for my students. I was always curious to see what the therapists would be doing with the kids and [liked to] see what I could do to make sure their needs were being met when therapy was not on-site. Occupational therapy just connected with me, [especially] watching my students play with things they never played with before or play with other kids in ways they did not before. I knew I wanted to work with kids and help them as much as I could, and this was the best route to accomplish both of those goals. I had looked into many other programs, but Chatham’s location, the program itself, and the sense of community I felt while touring just felt like I finally found the right place.
What has been the coolest aspect of your OT training at Chatham thus far?
SC: I really enjoy all the hands-on experience we get in our program (both with and without COVID-19). We get to practice our skills not only with our classmates and while on fieldwork, but the professors are open to letting us try things with them to see if we are doing it correctly. Plus, the professors in this program are fantastic and have such a wide variety of backgrounds in various work settings so the stories we hear are usually very relatable.
“One of my major post-graduation goals is to not only be an OT, but to continue my career as an educator, only this time at the college level. Through my Capstone I’m able to hone my skills on the education track by working closely with one of our faculty members improving our OT program and creating more content for one of our courses.”
What advice do you have for students who are considering pursuing their Doctorate of Occupational Therapy?
SC: For anyone considering a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy, it is an amazing, incredible career choice. We get to play, have fun, and be creative while helping others, but it’s also a lot of work, research, and hours of studying and assignments. If you are serious about the career, it’s worth going for it and reaching your own goals.
Stay tuned for part 2, coming soon! Interested in exploring Chatham’s Occupational Therapy program? Click the link to learn more.
