Christina's Story

My passion is Occupational Therapy.

In first grade, I had a girl in my class named Katie. I could tell she wasn't quite like the other kids, and soon learned that she had autism. Growing up with an uncle who has special needs, I was immediately drawn to her, and wanted to be her friend. I began realizing how much I loved being around these kids and helping them, and I thought about how I could turn that into a career. Now, I am working on a Capstone project for school on occupational therapy. The more I work on it, the more I love it. It's amazing learning all of the benefits that it has on kids! I shadow at a pediatric OT center in Guilford called Sensation Station. It's such a great experience because I am able to see what it is like to be an occupational therapist.

Attending Ithaca: Health Sciences: Foundations and Careers will provide me with the opportunity experience the academic side of occupational therapy. I will be able to further explore the different age groups that occupational therapists treat, rather than just pediatrics. The college credit will also help me tremendously when applying to schools next year. It will help me show the schools I want to apply to, like Ithaca, that I am passionate about occupational therapy.