Hometown: Waterloo, Ontario
What sparked your interest in pursuing a career in occupational therapy?
I had a wonderful experience co-facilitating support groups for individuals with acquired brain injury at the Victoria Brain Injury Society. I enjoyed this so much that I started searching for a career that would allow me to do similar work every day. I love how diverse and creative OT is; every day and every individual that I get to work with is different. There will always be so much room to learn and grow as a professional. I am constantly challenged to think in different ways and consider new perspectives. I often feel like a kid again: I lose myself while creating and experimenting with new ideas.
What’s the single biggest lesson you learned, or memory you’ll take away from your time as a MOT student at UBC?
My classmates taught me about collaboration and community. It’s amazing what we can achieve when we bring our differing perspectives, skill-sets, and knowledge together. We are truly stronger together. The support I receive from my former classmates is invaluable —particularly during the transition from graduate to professional. I am honoured to be a part of this incredible group of people.
What’s in store for you next?
I am currently working as part of the interdisciplinary team at Abilities Neurological Rehabilitation in Abbotsford, B.C. Abilities is a family of private clinics that specialize in neurological rehabilitation — particularly pediatric neurorehabilitation and concussion care for adults and children.
My role involves working in pediatric neurological rehabilitation, and concussion care for adults and children. I work with clients on their goals to increase functioning in everyday life. These goals often involve increased independence with self-care (e.g. dressing, feeding, and bathing), enhancing productivity at school with strategies and skill-building (e.g. organization and time management strategies, handwriting, social skills), and enabling engagement in leisure activities (e.g. increasing hand strength and dexterity, and adapting crafts/hobbies that require fine-motor control).
What attracted you about working for this company?
I love being able to work as part an interdisciplinary team at Abilities, and seeing clients on a long-term basis. Having an interdisciplinary team under one roof is attractive to me because I get to provide more comprehensive, integrated care, and increase my knowledge of other allied health professions. Seeing clients overcome challenges and reach their goals over time is incredibly rewarding. I am also excited about the concussion care program at Abilities — the program is relatively new, and I am looking forward to helping the team develop it further.
What excites you about the next stage of your OT journey?
The opportunities for learning and developing new skills as a professional. The possibilities are endless!