IWU GRADUATE 2008
BIOLOGY MAJOR
MASTERS IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, MIDWESTERN UNIVERSITY (2011)
At IWU, I realized my calling to missions after participating in my first missions trip to Brazil. After graduating from IWU in 2008, I attended grad school at Midwestern University in Downers Grove, IL. There, I studied occupational therapy (OT). As an OT student, I participated in another mission trip with an organization called DO Care. During this trip, a group of graduate/medical students and various health care professionals set up free health clinics in communities of Guatemala. In 2011, I earned a Masters of Occupational therapy and am now practicing. I am currently employed at a skilled nursing facility, Manor Care, in Anderson, IN. The focus of our therapy department is to rehabilitate long term residents and patients returning home. As an OT, my job is to ensure patients are able to safely function to their maximum potential in spite of any physical, cognitive, or environmental limitations. I also play a part in rehabbing any upper extremity fractures. In the near future, I plan to further my career and practice at an outpatient/hand therapy setting. My dream is to one day work at the world renowned Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center.
This year, I participated in another missions trip. This time, I went to Moneague, Jamaica with Therapy Missions. We worked with young adults with disabilities at a facility called Jacob's Ladder. We trained the staff on the importance of therapy, facilitated group activities with the residents, assessed some of the residents' abilities to complete self care tasks, and made recommendations for the staff on how to improve the residents' functional independence with their self care.
IWU and its biology department has played an important part in God's plan for my life. I have learned so much in the biology department; and what I've learned are the building blocks of what I practice today as a therapist. After studying for my biology classes at IWU, I can study for anything! Many of the study habits Ilearned at IWU, I am using to study God's word. I am now a Sunday School teacher at my church. I discovered that teaching is one of my gifts; I not only enjoy studying, I also thoroughly enjoy teaching.
In the future, Lord willing, I plan to further my OT career, continue to teach God's word, and participate in missions.
