My name is Vanessa, and I am a proud first-generation Latina and Doctor of Occupational Therapy. My parents immigrated to the US from Mexico and their stories give me strength in my endeavors. This journey has been both humbling and empowering. I would not be where I am today without the unwavering support of my family and community, who encouraged me from a young age to pursue education as a tool for transformation. As an undergraduate at Earlham College, I studied neuroscience and public health—two fields that shaped my understanding of health and well-being far beyond the clinical setting. My time at Earlham was transformational. Through Earlham’s Externship program, which connected students to local health professionals for shadowing opportunities, I discovered occupational therapy. I was captivated by the field, as it aligned deeply with both my academic background and personal values. Occupational therapy, to me, is about more than restoring function; it’s about empowering people to reclaim meaning in their daily lives. The intersection of neuroscience, public health, and OT opened my eyes to how systemic inequities impact individual outcomes—and how clinicians can serve as advocates for occupational justice. I view my career not only as a profession but also as a platform to amplify voices that are often left unheard. Reflecting on the community that shaped me, I feel a deep responsibility to give back. I currently work in both the clinical and higher education settings as a lab instructor in an OT program. I've had the opportunity to mentor BIPOC OT students and to help create spaces where they feel seen, supported, and empowered. As a Latina in healthcare, I believe that representation matters—especially in mentorship. In clinical practice, I work in hand therapy within my hometown. I chose to remain local because I understand the unique needs of the diverse communities in my area. I prioritize patient education, always considering health literacy. I hold space for the rehabilitation process to be a collaborative effort and encourage my patients to ask questions that deepen their understanding, not just of pathoanatomy, but of the healthcare systems impacting their care. In the next five years, I hope to become a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT), supported by mentorship that helps me become an expert in the field. Currently, I hold an advanced practice certification in physical agent modalities and am completing CEUs toward advanced practice in hand therapy. Receiving this scholarship would allow me to reduce the financial burden of my student loans and redirect that energy into meaningful action. With less financial pressure, I can invest in future goals, I hope to become the first homeowner in my family and begin planning for a family of my own. Growing up, I spent countless hours in the homes of church members as we gathered for community projects and fellowship. I hope my future home will be a similar space, a resource I can offer to others, not just for shelter, but for connection and community. I am beyond blessed to have come this far in my educational and professional journey. I carry with me the stories, values, and sacrifices of those who came before me. I am moving forward with the intention of opening doors for those who will come after me. Thank you for considering my application and for supporting first-generation professionals like myself who are committed to giving back.

I am an aspiring occupational therapist. I am currently in my last year of my doctorate program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. I'm also a first-generation student in my family. My family is the reason why I've pursued occupational therapy. I knew from my shadowing experiences in a variety of settings that the field of occupational therapy would be for me. I would be a competitive candidate for the scholarship, as I know my purpose lies within the OT field. I have a sense of purpose in working with anyone across the lifespan, but I have found an affinity towards older adults and dying individuals. I never thought that my professional interests would align within palliative and hospice care until I was personally introduced to it. During the second term of my OTD journey, my dad was in a catatonic state due to steroid-induced psychosis and spoke to his medical team concerning his advance care plans. I remember the exact day. September 25, 2021 when my dad chose to complete a DNR and within a week, he was home with hospice care services. I saw my dad's health rapidly decline. But I also so how the knowledge I was learning from my OT courses was helping me as a caregiver and supporting my dad, mom, and extended family while supporting my dad's wishes. At the time, I was filled with anticipatory grief and the messy feelings of anger, frustration, and fear seeing how the privilege of my education was impactful. I wished that it didn't have to be compounded knowing that my dad was dying. As I'm coming up on my dad's second death anniversary, I'm learning that the toughest year of my life exposed me to what the truest form of love is. Grief is the deepest and perhaps strongest expression of love. Hindsight brought me seeing the accomplishments that I achieved during my time of survival. I am currently maintaining a 3.9 GPA and was inducted into the Pi Theta Epsilon Delta Kappa Chapter, the honor society for occupational therapy students. It’s going to hurt terribly not seeing my dad in the crowd as I walk during commencement, but I now know that I am his living legacy. The field I am pursuing was part of his medical care team. It motivates me daily, knowing that I will be in a profession that can immediately bring change to someone’s life. As an aspirating occupational therapist, I know I will be more sensitive to various forms of grief and loss in my practice, and I hope that will show that I genuinely care about them through their healing journey. As a first-generation Mexican-American, I am looking forward to ensuring that I advocate for my future clients and their families. My why for pursuing occupational therapy is that there need to be more people of color who empathize with their patient's experiences, advocate for their care, and empower them during their healing process. I saw that I could bring my whole self, with my cultural background and my personal experience of grief and loss, into the occupational therapy profession that focuses on understanding and empowering individuals and populations to participate in their meaningful occupations.

I’m the first generation in my family to be born here in the United States and to go to college. I left my home in SoCal to study neuroscience and public health at Earlham College in Indi with my family's support. I shadowed speech, physical and occupational therapists in inpatient and outpatient settings, interned at a chiropractic clinic, and interned at the Indianapolis VA Medical Center on a public health research study. Additionally, I worked alongside pediatric doctors, nurses, pharmaceutical students, and recreational therapists at Bradford Woods’ Camp Riley, a summer recreational therapy camp for those with disabilities. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career to integrate research into practice to improve a person’s quality of life. Occupational therapy took all my attention because of their holistic approach to meeting the patient and encouraging them to keep engaging in meaningful occupations. I knew occupational therapy was my career after shadowing in an acute rehabilitation unit at the local hospital near my college. The majority of patients I saw in ARU were recovering from a stroke and were receiving therapy to transition from life in the hospital to living at home. They provided meaningful occupations for the patient to participate in that would remind them of their everyday activities. A year later, while speaking to an occupational therapist at the VA Medical Center, I learned that occupational therapy was associated with lower readmission rates (Rogers, 2016). It meant that patients that received occupational therapy in a hospital setting were less likely to be readmitted. This furthered my excitement to pursue occupational therapy. It's a career centered around advocacy. I am currently working as an aide at an outpatient physical therapy clinic. I am learning what it means to accompany a patient through their healing process. I am observant, and that has led me into conversations learning about the patients I interact with. I learn of their home and family life outside of activities they are limited due to their injury. I hope that I enter the clinic each day and empower the individuals I cross paths with. The healing process can be difficult, and I’ve come to learn that by working with patients that developed complications due to their surgery. I want to enter this healing space with grace but enough strength to encourage patients to continue engaging in meaningful activities and enjoy their life. I am excited to share that I will begin my Doctorate in Occupational Therapy studies at the University of St. Augustine this May ('21). I hold a deep value for research and hope to participate in future research initiatives. Currently, I am unsure about what research topic I would pursue. But I am familiar with the research development process. I had completed a study on social exclusion’s effect on compassion at Earlham College. My data did not yield significant results due to COVID restrictions and a small sampling. Still, it truly humbled me to learn of the various effects a social stressor could have on our ability to empathize with others. As a first-generation student, pursuing academia, let alone a healthcare profession, has been daunting. I am community made and want to give back in a mentorship way as a profession. I sought mentorship as I applied to occupational therapy programs with a Latina post-professional doctorate occupational therapy student and am grateful that others find meaning in empowering their community. Rogers, A. T., Bai, G., Lavin, R. A., & Anderson, G. F. (2016, September 2). Higher hospital spending on occupational therapy is associated with lower readmission rates. Medical Care Research and Review, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077558716666981