Do you lean into Myers Briggs, Enneagram or another leadership/personality test? If so, what has it helped you learn about yourself?
As an Enneagram 8 wing 7, I thrive in face-paced environments with a variety of opportunities for leadership potential. This has led me to where I am today, working for multiple organizations whose missions I believe in.

What did the scholarship allow you to do that you otherwise wouldn’t have done?
Being a Lilly Scholar allowed me greater financial freedom after receiving my undergraduate degree. This afforded me the opportunity to pursue graduate degrees and has opened many doors of opportunity for which I’m super grateful!

What has been your favorite LSN experience?
A couple of years ago, I was able to help a Marion County nonprofit that I’m involved with, Westminster Neighborhood Services, increase their impact at their Back-to-School Bash with a Lead Forward Community Grant. It was an awesome opportunity to connect LSN and Westminster, two awesome organizations!

What inspired you to become an advocate for accessibility in occupational therapy?
Occupational therapy practitioners help to maximize independence and functioning for individuals of all ages to engage in activities that are most meaningful to them. Though our exact methods differ depending on the settings we’re working in, we care about how clients “occupy” their time and believe that everyone deserves the rights of meaning, participation, choice, and balance within their desired occupations.

I was actually inspired to become an OT while in my first career as a high school math teacher. I was disheartened to see so many students struggling to access their education for a variety of trauma-related challenges or neurodiversity differences, and I decided that I wanted my role as an educator to focus more on advocating for these students. One of my roles now is being a school-based occupational therapist, so I’m in an elementary school helping students work on cognition, sensorimotor, and psychosocial skills that affect their roles as students. A lot of my work is smaller scale advocacy, educating parents and teachers about universal design principles that we can use to help make classrooms more accessible for all students.

Can you describe a memorable success or milestone you’ve reached in your advocacy journey?
As an occupational therapist, sometimes my role involves facilitating an individual’s ability to self-advocate for their own needs. Some of my most memorable moments have been those “small wins” when a child begins to recognize and communicate their own nervous system regulation needs, like needing a tight hug (proprioceptive input) before they’re able to calm down and attend to the activity at hand.

Are there any lessons you would like to share that you have learned in your advocacy journey?
One thing that I took away from my last visit with legislators at the State House was that, at the end of the day, most people truly care about other people. That brings me a lot of hope in today’s world where divisiveness is often centered. Being willing to be open to educating others whose world views differ from your own, without dehumanizing their perspectives, can be very healing. I will always stand for occupational therapy practices that respect and value diversity in all of its forms, and I believe that reminding those in powerful positions that their roles are to promote the good of all of their constituents is our responsibility as citizens and advocates.

First posted 1/8/2024