Attended in Fort Wayne, IN February 2018

Attended in Fort Wayne, IN October 2018 

Attended at Naples, FL January 2020. 

Online Course completed January 2020

Online course completed January 2020

Bachelor of Science in Human Development, Blacksburg, VA | August 2012- December 2015

Doctorate of Occupational Therapy Program, Fort Wayne, IN | August 2017-May 2020

Autism Society of Indiana, Fort Wayne, IN                                   May 2018 to May 2019

Direct Support Provider

• Provided support for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities
• Assisted in the development and implementation of individual support plans
• Documented support sessions including daily logs, accident reports, and outcome data sheets

Hanson Services, Inc., Lakewood, OH                                       July 2016 to February 2017

Home Health Aide

• Assisted older adults in occupations to encourage aging in place such as housekeeping, bathing, meal planning and preparation, transfers, transportation, and companionship

Participated in daily appointment sessions with an Interprofessional team. Lead one-hour group therapy sessions using a client-centered approach with evidence-based treatment sessions. Assisted with creating a resource binder for group therapy sessions that comply with daily operations of an inpatient psychiatric facility.

Bowen Center Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital 

Clinical Instructor: Maureen Lund, MHA

Pierceton, IN | February-March 2018

Assisted in conducting OT treatments for the pediatric population in a school setting. Gained experience reviewing an IEP to create client-centered sessions. Became familiar with assisting children with fine motor, sensory integration, self-regulation, and self-help activities.

Fort Wayne Community Schools

Clinical Instructor: Shari Byall, OTR/L

Fort Wayne, IN | September-November 2018

Assisted in provision of SNF OT services for patients with neurological impairments resulting from spinal cord injury, orthopedic injury and cerebrovascular accidents. Gained familiarity with COTA requirements and documentation.

Canterbury Nursing and Rehab

Clinical Instructor: Tiffany Scott, COTA

Fort Wayne, IN | February-April 2019

Conducted OT evaluations and assessments. Developed Individualized Family Service Plan outcomes based on family priorities. Contributed to weekly interdisciplinary team meetings. Utilized the coaching model to deliver OT services in the natural environment for children from birth to 36 months. Gained knowledge on Autism Spectrum Disorder, sensory processing, feeding therapy and sleep training.

Easterseals Goodwill-Rocky Mountain 

Clinical Instructor: Devon Gere, OTR/L

Provo, UT | May-August 2019

Maintained full caseload, provided comprehensive acute care OT services to patients admitted to the ICU and MSICU. Increased efficiency with EPIC documentation software. Collaborated with the interdisciplinary team to develop treatment and discharge plans.

Baylor Scott & White All Saints – Acute Care       

Clinical Instructor: Ashley Horlocker, OTR/L

Fort Worth, TX | August-November 2019

Occupational Therapy Practitioners Perception of Work-Life Balance

IOTA Conference 2019 Poster Presentation

Pending Publication 

Cross-Cultural Service Learning & Student Development Providing Mobility & Receiving Much More

AOTA Conference 2019 Poster Presentation

Expert Mentor: Emily Lozier, OTR/L

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ruth Ford, EdD, MSBS, OTR/L, FAOTA, CLIPP

The Chateau at Moorings Park, Naples, FL | January-April 2020

The purpose of this capstone project is to enhance engagement of older adults with dementia residing at The Chateau at Moorings Park, in meaningful occupations. Current research suggests that nursing home residents with dementia spend two-thirds of the day in unstructured activities (Cohen-Mansfield, Thein, Dakheel-Ali, & Marx, 2010). Without something meaningful to do, behaviors such as agitation, irritability, wandering, self-stimulation, yelling, and aggressiveness appear (Robichaud, Hébert, & Desrosiers, 1993). Older adults with dementia are still human with values, needs, wants, and seek purpose. The goal is to initiate and implement individualized programs addressing the needs of each resident in a holistic manner. These programs would aim to decrease maladaptive behaviors, and increase participation in occupations, such as ADL’s, leisure, rest/sleep, and social participation. A need’s assessment will be completed to determine the current difficulties families/caregivers are witnessing at The Chateau at Moorings Park. Documentation reviews and interviews with family members/ caregivers will provide information to aid in developing strengths-based, person-centered programming. To gain an in-depth understanding of dementia and cognitive impairments, educational webinars will be completed and; as well as, a portion of the capstone hours will be documented treatment time.

Cohen-Mansfield, J., Thein, K., Dakheel-Ali, M., & Marx, M. S. (2010). Engaging nursing home residents with dementia in activities: The effects of modeling, presentation order, time of day, and setting characteristics. Aging and Mental Health, 14(4), 471-480. doi: 10.1080/13607860903586102

 Robichaud, L., Hébert, R., & Desrosiers, J. (1993). Efficacy of a sensory integration program on behaviors of inpatients with dementia. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 48(4), 355-360.

Hokie Mentorship Connect                                                           

August 2019 to Present

• Online mentorship program for Virginia Tech Alumni to share experiences with current undergraduate students involved in the same academia studies and/or extracurricular activities

Joni and Friends Wheels for the World                                                    

   January 2018

• Traveled to Antigua and Guatemala City, Guatemala to work alongside experienced therapists providing custom mobility equipment to those in need
• Assisted with wheelchair assessments and making recommendations for custom seating

AOTA – School Backpack Awareness Day                                             

   September 2017

• Provided education for children on proper body mechanics and correct use of backpack to avoid injury.

Sigma Kappa Sorority- Advisory Board Supervisor             

August 2016 to August 2017

• Provided advice and expertise to the Vice President of two Sigma Kappa chapters’ on weekly meetings and standards council video chats.