Personal Statement Of Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy can be defined through the textbook definition as “a form of therapy for those recuperating from physical or mental illness that encourages rehabilitation through the performance of activities required in daily life”. For me, though, Occupational Therapy means something different. It means impacting the lives of others that have been through significant hardships, and doing anything in one’s power to make their day, and their lives, a little bit easier, and a little bit better. Throughout my life, I have always been volunteering. I started the Girl Scouts program in Kindergarten, and am still currently involved in the program. Simultaneously, I’m in three service groups at my high school, many of which involve visiting

Towards the end of my sophomore year, my coach approached me and asked if I had ever considered a career in Speech-Language Pathology or one of the therapies. She said that I interacted so well with my teammates, and that she thought that I had a special talent for helping them on and off the court. Intrigued, I did some research on Speech Pathology, Physical Therapy, Special Education, and Occupational Therapy. I was able to eliminate Special Education and Physical Education pretty quickly, and finally, I became more and more interested in Occupational Therapy. This led me to talk to a family friend, who is and Occupational Therapist. I shadowed her multiple times in a school setting, and fell in love with the work that she was doing. Since then, I have known what I want to do in life. Occupational Therapy combines my love of helping people with my love of science, and helps me to see that what I am doing is positively affecting those that I work

With a campus right in the middle of a city, but still with a campus feel, Duquesne is exactly what I’m looking for in a college. I know that I will have shadowing and job opportunities through the multiple hospitals and facilities in the surrounding area. Furthermore, I know that Duquesne will force me to be independent. After visiting and talking to students that I know, I can safely expect that the faculty will provide a safe, obliging learning and living environment, while forcing me to be accountable as a student and as a person. After researching the program and talking informally with the program director, Dr. Muñoz, I am confident that Duquesne’s program is the one for me. I especially appreciate the 6-year Doctoral option, and the 5-year Master’s option. I think that the Doctoral degree will make me more sought after in the job field, and will better prepare me for post-college life. I think that both of the programs at Duquesne will challenge me, however I think that the challenges will be beneficial, and that I will end up learning a lot, not exclusively about my future career, but also about myself, my goals, my strengths, and my weaknesses. Duquesne University is a dream come true for me. With my experiences, and my goals, I cannot imagine a better school in a better environment for me to further my academic career and find myself as a person and as a