My Origin Story
Often in occupational therapy, practitioners will talk about their origin story, which is what brought them to the field. Since I started OT school in January, I have been doing a great deal of reflecting about why I chose OT, and why I know it is going to be a great fit for me as a profession. It has been a struggle to put this into words because it has been such a long and complex journey, but I think sharing my personal experience with coming to choose this field will not only tell you a bit more about me, but also this wonderful career path I am on. So here goes my story:
When I was younger, I remember always thinking that there were parts of me that seemed to contradict. While most people preferred either science and math or art and music, I liked all subjects equally. Most of my classmates were either super emotional or very rational, and I was a combination of both. Because of this I always felt like there was something weird or different about me. I thought that logic and rationale were just as important as emotions, and that creativity and science could and should go together. I also always remember my friends having strong preferences for what they wanted to do when they grew up, and what I wanted to do seemed to change all throughout my childhood. I continually wondered if I would ever find something that would encompass all of the things I was passionate about into one career.
Fast forward to middle school, and my younger brother had just started school and was having some difficulties. He was brought in to go through evaluations at a facility, and they determined that he would begin working with an occupational therapist. At that age, I had absolutely no idea what an occupational therapist was or what they did, I just knew that he came home and would talk about how much he loved it. I could see each week just how much improvement he was making not only in his schoolwork but also in how much happier he was in himself and his efforts. The progress that he made was remarkable, and I remember thinking even at that age that I wanted to be able to help others the way he had been helped. My brother often does not like when I acknowledge that he is the primary reason that I chose occupational therapy, but I know that it was this encounter that started my road to OT.
In high school, I was still very unsure of what field I wanted to pursue, which made college decisions very difficult. I visited a number of schools, and was extremely unsure of where the Lord would want me to be. Not only this, but I have always struggled with change, and still do to this day. It was because of this uncertainty of the future, and the inevitable change that would be quickly approaching that I began to struggle with both depression and anxiety during my senior year. While my mental health is not something that I hide now, I was very ashamed at the time, and remember thinking and feeling like I was so alone in the struggle and that people would judge me if they knew my struggles. Even when I made the decision to attend Mississippi State University because of the options it would provide to me, I still was incredibly scared of what the future would hold. Orientation was an extremely pivotal moment for me. Not only did I have what I would later learn was my first panic attack, but I also realized that weekend that the Lord's plan for me would be occupational therapy. That weekend, I declared my major as biological sciences with a concentration in pre-occupational therapy, though I still was not sure this was my lifelong decision.
When I began to attend Mississippi State, I remember thinking that despite the difficulties I was having with the change and its impact on my mental health, I had such peace because I knew that it was where the Lord wanted me to be. Despite the sometimes crippling homesickness, God brought me some amazing friends and a wonderful sorority that I began to plug in with. Through my time in Alpha Delta Pi, I not only found lifelong friends, but I also began to see myself as a leader. By serving as both the Membership Education Vice President and the Chapter President, I learned what it really meant to have compassion for people, and how to serve others through leading. These are characteristics that I now know define an occupational therapist. When it came time to apply for OT school, I only had one in mind. I sent in my application to UTHSC and prayed that the Lord would show me His will clearly. The verse that stuck out to me throughout the entire process was Jeremiah 29:11, which says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This verse carried me throughout the entire admissions process. I found out after submitting my application that I had been offered an interview. A week after my interview, I had been admitted into the MOT program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Despite the uncertainty and doubt that I struggled with leading up to my college decision, the Lord could not have made this decision more clear.
I have learned so much about my journey to OT since starting school, and there are things that I did not even realize were part of my journey that have shaped me into who I am today, and I know will make me a better occupational therapist. I thought my origin story was just that my brother went through occupational therapy and that was how I heard of it, but I have learned that it is so much more. It is that this is a field that perfectly combines all the parts of me that I thought might never fit together in a career. I can equally love and pursue science, creativity, emotion, and reason. It is also that mental health was and is part of my journey. My road with anxiety and depression have not only made me more empathetic, but have increased my awareness of what others may be struggling with and how I can be there for them. My time in ADPi showed me that being a leader means showing compassion to everyone, and that serving is the best way to lead. But more than any of these things, I have seen that no matter what I am facing, the Lord has a plan for me. My journey to OT has not been a simple one. There have been bumps along the way, and things have not always gone according to my plan. To this day, I still struggle with wanting to control my future, but I know that the Lord has brought me this far, and will continue to carry me on my journey as I finish school and beyond. I am thankful that it is His hand that has guided me to this amazing profession, and I know that He will continue to sustain me through it.
When I was younger, I remember always thinking that there were parts of me that seemed to contradict. While most people preferred either science and math or art and music, I liked all subjects equally. Most of my classmates were either super emotional or very rational, and I was a combination of both. Because of this I always felt like there was something weird or different about me. I thought that logic and rationale were just as important as emotions, and that creativity and science could and should go together. I also always remember my friends having strong preferences for what they wanted to do when they grew up, and what I wanted to do seemed to change all throughout my childhood. I continually wondered if I would ever find something that would encompass all of the things I was passionate about into one career.
Fast forward to middle school, and my younger brother had just started school and was having some difficulties. He was brought in to go through evaluations at a facility, and they determined that he would begin working with an occupational therapist. At that age, I had absolutely no idea what an occupational therapist was or what they did, I just knew that he came home and would talk about how much he loved it. I could see each week just how much improvement he was making not only in his schoolwork but also in how much happier he was in himself and his efforts. The progress that he made was remarkable, and I remember thinking even at that age that I wanted to be able to help others the way he had been helped. My brother often does not like when I acknowledge that he is the primary reason that I chose occupational therapy, but I know that it was this encounter that started my road to OT.
In high school, I was still very unsure of what field I wanted to pursue, which made college decisions very difficult. I visited a number of schools, and was extremely unsure of where the Lord would want me to be. Not only this, but I have always struggled with change, and still do to this day. It was because of this uncertainty of the future, and the inevitable change that would be quickly approaching that I began to struggle with both depression and anxiety during my senior year. While my mental health is not something that I hide now, I was very ashamed at the time, and remember thinking and feeling like I was so alone in the struggle and that people would judge me if they knew my struggles. Even when I made the decision to attend Mississippi State University because of the options it would provide to me, I still was incredibly scared of what the future would hold. Orientation was an extremely pivotal moment for me. Not only did I have what I would later learn was my first panic attack, but I also realized that weekend that the Lord's plan for me would be occupational therapy. That weekend, I declared my major as biological sciences with a concentration in pre-occupational therapy, though I still was not sure this was my lifelong decision.
When I began to attend Mississippi State, I remember thinking that despite the difficulties I was having with the change and its impact on my mental health, I had such peace because I knew that it was where the Lord wanted me to be. Despite the sometimes crippling homesickness, God brought me some amazing friends and a wonderful sorority that I began to plug in with. Through my time in Alpha Delta Pi, I not only found lifelong friends, but I also began to see myself as a leader. By serving as both the Membership Education Vice President and the Chapter President, I learned what it really meant to have compassion for people, and how to serve others through leading. These are characteristics that I now know define an occupational therapist. When it came time to apply for OT school, I only had one in mind. I sent in my application to UTHSC and prayed that the Lord would show me His will clearly. The verse that stuck out to me throughout the entire process was Jeremiah 29:11, which says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This verse carried me throughout the entire admissions process. I found out after submitting my application that I had been offered an interview. A week after my interview, I had been admitted into the MOT program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Despite the uncertainty and doubt that I struggled with leading up to my college decision, the Lord could not have made this decision more clear.
I have learned so much about my journey to OT since starting school, and there are things that I did not even realize were part of my journey that have shaped me into who I am today, and I know will make me a better occupational therapist. I thought my origin story was just that my brother went through occupational therapy and that was how I heard of it, but I have learned that it is so much more. It is that this is a field that perfectly combines all the parts of me that I thought might never fit together in a career. I can equally love and pursue science, creativity, emotion, and reason. It is also that mental health was and is part of my journey. My road with anxiety and depression have not only made me more empathetic, but have increased my awareness of what others may be struggling with and how I can be there for them. My time in ADPi showed me that being a leader means showing compassion to everyone, and that serving is the best way to lead. But more than any of these things, I have seen that no matter what I am facing, the Lord has a plan for me. My journey to OT has not been a simple one. There have been bumps along the way, and things have not always gone according to my plan. To this day, I still struggle with wanting to control my future, but I know that the Lord has brought me this far, and will continue to carry me on my journey as I finish school and beyond. I am thankful that it is His hand that has guided me to this amazing profession, and I know that He will continue to sustain me through it.
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