My Journey into Occupational Therapy Practice
My journey into occupational therapy began during my junior year as an undergraduate student at UConn. During one of the lectures, the assignment was to research a career of interest. I remember searching on the DOL website and typing into the search box: working with children with disabilities. A list of careers was presented – one of the primary ones being occupational therapy, which I had never heard of before. As I clicked on that link, I had no idea where it would lead me to 10 years later.
I graduated from UConn the spring of 2015 with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies, specializing in Early Childhood Development, and minoring in Psychology. I took a gap year to travel, during which I learned about an internship opportunity in Sri Lanka specifically for an occupational therapy placement. I spent approximately four months volunteering in a variety of settings before returning to complete prerequisites in order to be eligible to apply to a Masters program.
While completing prerequisites and applications, I worked as a teacher at a preschool for 2 years. I taught in the infant room for the first year, and the second year was the toddler teacher. During my two years of teaching, there were a handful of students that received early intervention services from Connecticut’s Birth to Three program. The children’s providers were OTs providing services for feeding, and mobility. Watching them work with the children, further confirmed my interest in occupational therapy and sparked my interest in feeding.
A prior coworker referred me since the company was hiring developmental therapists close to my hometown. I applied and worked full-time for four years before deciding to go back to school to pursue a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy. While working alongside other OTs, I learned so much from them and they encouraged me to pursue my dream career. I applied in the summer of 2023 and got accepted a month later into the MSOT program at MCPHS. Fast forward to a year and a half later, and I’m finishing my fourth out of five fieldwork rotations.
I appreciate the opportunity that my supervisor, Justine (Jelly Bean), provided to me. I am thankful to the families of the clients I worked with for sharing their children with me. The experiences at Building Blocks Pediatric Occupational Therapy Services promoted my knowledge, skills, and growth. I have one more fieldwork rotation left before graduating and sitting for the NBCOT exam, and I cannot wait to see how I learn and grow as a therapist!
– Stephanie Skittles/Starburst, OTS
MSOT 2025
