Victoria Pierce Mental health is important to me as a student because I understand how strongly it can affect a person’s ability to participate in everyday life. My own experiences with adversity taught me that mental health does not exist separately from the rest of our lives. It affects our relationships, routines, education, work, and ability to engage in the things that give our lives meaning. As a graduate student pursuing a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, I have become even more aware of the connection between mental health and occupation. I believe that supporting mental health means supporting the whole person and helping them participate in a life that feels meaningful to them. My experiences working at the University of New Mexico Children’s Psychiatric Hospital have strongly shaped how I advocate for mental health. Working with children and adolescents experiencing acute psychiatric challenges has shown me how important it is for individuals to feel heard and supported. Many of the children I worked with were struggling to communicate what they needed, and I learned that advocacy sometimes means speaking up when someone else cannot. I have tried to approach each individual with an open mind and without allowing a diagnosis to define who they are. I also advocated for mental health at the organizational level while working at the hospital. I served as the head chair of shared governance, which allowed me to bring concerns from employees and patients to hospital leadership. I noticed that some aspects of the environment did not feel supportive of the children who were receiving care. One change I advocated for was allowing patients to paint the walls of the psychiatric units. What may seem like a small environmental change had a meaningful impact. The children were able to bring creativity, color, and individuality into a space that previously felt sterile and intimidating. This experience taught me that mental health advocacy can happen through both large systemic changes and small changes that make people feel more comfortable being themselves. I can also practice advocacy for mental health within my student community by recognizing that graduate school can make it easy to prioritize academic responsibilities over personal well being. I believe that taking care of ourselves is not separate from being successful students. I try to create supportive relationships with my classmates, encourage people to take breaks when they need them, and approach others with patience when I recognize that they may be struggling. Sometimes advocacy is simply being the person who asks someone how they are actually doing and creates a space where they can answer honestly. As I continue my education in occupational therapy, I want mental health advocacy to remain a central part of my practice. I hope to work with children and adolescents, particularly individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, while continuing to advocate for environments that promote safety, inclusion, independence, and participation. My goal is not only to help individuals manage mental health challenges, but to help create communities where people feel supported before they reach a crisis. I believe that meaningful mental health advocacy begins with listening, continues through action, and ultimately creates spaces where people feel valued and capable of living meaningful lives.

The impact I will make is to help individuals feel supported enough to participate in their lives, regardless of the circumstances they are facing. My experiences with mental health adversity, working with children and adolescents in psychiatric settings, and my education in occupational therapy have shown me that people do not need to be “fixed” to deserve support. They need someone willing to meet them where they are, understand what is meaningful to them, and help create environments where they can succeed. The people who inspire me most are the children and adolescents I have worked with throughout my career. Working at the University of New Mexico Children’s Psychiatric Hospital showed me how much a person’s environment can influence their ability to participate in everyday life. I worked with children experiencing significant mental health challenges and saw how easily they can be defined by their diagnosis rather than recognized for who they are. These experiences inspired me to become an occupational therapist who looks beyond a diagnosis and focuses on the person, their occupations, their environment, and their goals. Using my education, I can give back to my community by becoming an occupational therapist who advocates for individuals who may have difficulty advocating for themselves. At the hospital where I worked, we served many children who were in state custody or came from home environments that lacked support and safety. I want to continue practicing in New Mexico after graduation to provide support to underserved children and adolescents in the state. Through working with and advocating for these children, I can help create opportunities for them to make an impact in their own lives, which can ultimately impact Albuquerque and New Mexico as a whole. While I am especially interested in mental health and working with children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, I also want to explore different areas of occupational therapy so I can become a well-rounded practitioner and bring that knowledge back to my community. My own experiences with adversity have also shaped the change I want to create. I know what it feels like to struggle, isolate myself, and believe that I had to handle everything alone. Moving to New Mexico and finding a supportive community changed the direction of my life. Because of this, I understand how powerful it can be when someone creates a space where another person feels safe, valued, and capable of moving forward. I want to provide that same support to others through occupational therapy. I also want to advocate beyond individual patient care. During my time at the psychiatric hospital, I served as the head chair of shared governance and brought patient needs into conversations with hospital leadership. One change I helped create was allowing patients to paint the walls of their units, transforming a sterile environment into a space that reflected their creativity and individuality. This experience taught me that meaningful change can happen when we listen to the people we serve and are willing to advocate for them. Ultimately, I want my education to help create communities where people are not defined by their struggles. I want to use occupational therapy to help individuals build meaningful routines, develop independence, participate in their communities, and feel that they belong. I envision a future where support is accessible, individuality is valued, and every person has the opportunity to live a meaningful life. I hope to create this impact through my own practice and by inspiring the people I work with to carry this mission into their own communities, allowing my impact to extend beyond the individuals I personally serve.

I am in my first semester of graduate school pursuing a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (OT). My primary goal during graduate school is to become a well rounded occupational therapist by gaining experience with a variety of populations and practice settings. I have substantial experience in psychiatric and behavioral health settings working with children and adolescents, but I do not want to limit my education to an area I already know. I am particularly interested in gaining experience in orthopedic, burn, and hand therapy. My long term goal is to enter practice with the ability to meet patients where they are and support their occupational performance in a variety of settings.To accomplish this goal, I plan to participate in at least two shadowing experiences in orthopedic, burn, or hand therapy each semester for the next two years. This would give me a goal of approximately eight shadowing experiences before completing graduate school. I will advocate for myself by requesting these areas for fieldwork placements when possible and communicating my interests with my academic advisor and professors. I will also contact practicing OTs to identify shadowing opportunities outside of the program. If I cannot obtain a formal fieldwork placement in one of these areas, I can pursue observation hours, volunteer opportunities, professional presentations, or mentorship with OTs. Time management will be one of the most important resources needed to accomplish this goal. Graduate school requires approximately 40 hours per week of class, not including outside academic responsibilities, and I also need to work to support myself financially. Since many OTs work during the same hours that I am in class, I will need to plan ahead and schedule shadowing during breaks, weekends, evenings when available, or other open periods. I will communicate regularly with my advisor to ensure that professional experiences do not interfere with my academic performance. Financial resources are another important consideration. I am responsible for funding my education without family assistance and expect to take on at least $30,000 more in student debt. My budget must prioritize tuition, transportation, food, gas, housing, and other necessary living expenses. Because of this, I will prioritize free shadowing opportunities and choose locations that minimize additional transportation or parking costs. I will also seek free professional development opportunities through the university and local healthcare organizations. I will evaluate any additional expenses based on whether the experience provides meaningful educational value. I recognize that time, money, transportation, academic demands, and the availability of OTs may create barriers. If I am unable to complete two shadowing experiences during a particular semester, I will use alternative opportunities to gain exposure and increase my experiences when my schedule allows. At the end of each semester, I will evaluate my progress, expenses, and experiences with my advisor and adjust my plan as needed. Ultimately, my goal is not to choose one practice area before graduation, but to explore different areas of OT so I can make an informed decision about my future, as well as so I can provide care for many different individuals. Through planning, advocacy, networking, budgeting, and flexibility, I can gain valuable experiences that will help me become a confident and adaptable occupational therapist.

Values are at the core of everything we do in life from personality structure to social interactions, to preferred activities and even our perception of life around us. My values have stemmed from experiences I have sought out and ones that simply were fated into my life. As I am still at a critical point of development, I suspect my values will continue to change, especially as I take on new roles throughout each phase of my life. At my core I value connection with others through an open-minded approach to all individuals and circumstances, engagement in new activities, and the ability to love endlessly. Alongside these values, I also value kindness, curiosity, learning, movement, and support of individuals to create supportive communities. Holding and displaying these values within my life, I am able to inform the work I do within the mental health field. While I primarily focus on the individuals in these settings, like their personal environments, progression in self-sufficiency, and ability to participate in daily occupations that benefit their lives, I have also devoted my time to being a part of the business system of mental health in order to better serve the populations I see in acute psychiatric settings. I work for an acute children’s psychiatric hospital where many times I have witnessed programs and services that did not fully support the children that we took care of. To advocate for these kids, I came into the role of head chair of shared governance to incorporate my values, and those of other employees around me, into the managerial side of the hospital. By bringing values of inclusion and meeting individuals where they are at, I was able to bring to managerial attention the areas of struggle for patients due to lack of supportive environments across the hospital. One example of a change I made by bringing in my values and experience with mental health to a more business centered space, is that I received permission from the hospital directors to allow the patients to paint the walls of the units. By allowing the kids to paint on the walls they were able to bring their values to a space that was previously sterile and scary. The patients brought color, creativity and engagement with the space which manipulated the space to better support their progress within their mental health journeys. Not only did this engage the patients to their environment and make the environment more inviting, but it also engaged the participation of the other employees as we bonded. Our bonding allowed us to come back to why we chose the job which in turn created a more cohesive experience for the patients. Because of my values, I was able to bring the minds of business and client-centered mental health care together to better support populations who need supportive environments to better participate in their mental health. As I continue to pursue my career in mental health through occupational therapy, I will be in a role that prioritizes patient's values as I identify interventions to support their needs. Because of my strong value in approaching individuals from a supportive, connective, open space and due to my experiences in mental health I will be able to apply my core values every single day to help patients feel safe to be themselves. More importantly my values will allow patients to be authentically themselves, to take up space, and to receive what they need to successfully achieve their goals every single day. Without my values I would not be an advocate for those who need mental health support.

Rebecca's story also reminds me of my experience as a mental health technician in children's psychiatric hospitals. I found purpose in supporting children who needed extra assistance with communication, sensory regulation, and daily living skills. While acute patient care brought difficult days, it also brought unforgettable victories. Walking alongside a child as they were discharged from the hospital after weeks of hard work reminded me that healing is built through trust, patience, and perseverance. Those moments confirmed that my passion is helping children, preteens, and teenagers gain the confidence and independence to participate fully in their lives. Specifically I want to work with children who have disabilities as I have a strong history of not only working with disabled children, but also living with and endlessly loving my disabled brother. Like Rebecca, every child deserves the opportunity to live loudly and authentically while receiving accommodations that honor their individuality. If I had the privilege of working with a child like Rebecca, my first priority would be building trust with both the child and their family. Meaningful progress cannot happen until a child feels understood, respected, and safe. I would take time to learn each child's strengths, interests, sensory preferences, and communication style while recognizing that families possess invaluable knowledge about their child's routines, motivators, and challenges. My own experiences have taught me that family-centered care is essential. When a child requires specialized support, their entire family adapts alongside them. Parents, siblings, and caregivers deserve individualized guidance that empowers them to confidently support their child across every environment. Maintaining open communication creates consistency between home, school, and therapy, allowing children to generalize new skills while strengthening their independence and quality of life. Working in pediatric mental health strengthened these beliefs. I supported children with autism as they developed communication, self-regulation, and daily living skills through individualized, evidence-based interventions. I taught children to use sign language when verbal communication was limited, incorporated sensory-based activities to improve engagement and emotional regulation, and collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to reinforce individualized eating routines and safety protocols for children with swallowing difficulties. These experiences reinforced the importance of meeting every child where they are rather than expecting them to fit a single approach. I believe learning should always be meaningful, engaging, and joyful. Although I loved my work, limited financial stability in New Mexico made it impossible to remain in that role while completing my education. Leaving a career I genuinely loved was difficult, but it strengthened my commitment to becoming an occupational therapist who can advocate for children with disabilities while expanding my ability to serve them. Paying for college has been one of my greatest challenges. I rely on financial aid and personal resources while preparing for a career devoted to helping others. Receiving the Rebecca Lynn Seto Memorial Scholarship would ease that burden and allow me to focus on my education, fieldwork, and becoming the compassionate occupational therapist I aspire to be, honoring Rebecca's legacy by helping every child thrive.

I am pursuing a career in occupational therapy because of the deeply personal and transformative experiences I have had supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These experiences have shaped not only my understanding of care, but also my passion for helping children and adolescents build independence, dignity, and meaningful participation in their daily lives. Growing up with a brother who is nonverbal autistic and requires total care was my first introduction to the impact of occupational therapy. Through helping care for him, I learned how meaningful even the smallest skills can be. I assisted with tasks such as improving hand mobility, practicing daily activities like toileting and brushing teeth, and teaching him how to use the correct grip when holding a toothbrush. These moments showed me that progress is not always measured in large milestones, but in consistent, patient support that empowers someone to engage more fully with their environment. My brother taught me the importance of adapting care to meet each individual’s unique needs, a principle that is at the core of occupational therapy. My passion for this field deepened when my father experienced a stroke. During his recovery, I became actively involved in supporting his occupational therapy journey. I helped him relearn essential skills such as speaking, writing, toileting, and even driving. Witnessing his frustration, determination, and eventual progress gave me a profound appreciation for the role occupational therapists play in restoring independence and confidence. This experience showed me that occupational therapy is not just about physical recovery, but about helping individuals reclaim their identity and sense of self after life-altering events. In addition to my personal experiences, my professional background as a mental health technician has further solidified my commitment to this field. I worked closely with an adolescent with autism who also required total care. During this time, I had the opportunity to shadow an occupational therapist and actively participate in interventions. Together, we worked on teaching sign language, toileting skills, and proper grip for eating. We also implemented strategies to help the adolescent cope with self-injurious behaviors. This experience allowed me to see firsthand how occupational therapy can address both physical and behavioral challenges, creating a more holistic approach to care. Through these combined experiences, I have developed a strong desire to support children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities. I am particularly passionate about early intervention and skill-building, as these are critical periods for growth and development. I want to help children gain the tools they need to communicate, care for themselves, and participate in meaningful activities, ultimately improving their quality of life. Occupational therapy aligns with my values of compassion, patience, and advocacy. It allows me to combine my personal experiences with professional skills to make a tangible difference in the lives of others. I am committed to creating supportive, individualized environments where children and adolescents feel empowered to reach their full potential. Pursuing a career in occupational therapy is not just a professional goal for me, but a continuation of the work that has already shaped who I am today.

My journey with mental health has been shaped by grief, survival, and ultimately, growth. It is not a linear story, but one marked by loss, resilience, and the gradual rebuilding of my sense of self. These experiences have deeply influenced my beliefs, relationships, and my commitment to pursuing a career in occupational therapy within the mental health field. I was first introduced to mental health struggles at a young age through profound personal loss. The deaths of my father and grandmother were not only devastating but also formative. At just 13 years old, I turned to substances as a way to cope with overwhelming grief. What began as an attempt to numb pain became a pattern that followed me throughout my adolescence and into early adulthood. Substance use became less about choice and more about survival, a way to avoid confronting emotions that felt too heavy to carry. As I entered college, these struggles intensified. The death of my father during this time compounded my grief, making it even more difficult to maintain stability. Around the same period, I found myself in a physically abusive relationship. This experience further isolated me and reinforced patterns of secrecy and self-reliance. I hid both the abuse and my addictions from those closest to me, convinced that vulnerability would only lead to more pain or judgment. These experiences shaped my early beliefs about relationships, teaching me to equate love with endurance rather than safety, and independence with isolation rather than strength. Despite these challenges, there came a turning point. I made the decision to leave that relationship and remove myself from the environment that was perpetuating my pain. It marked the beginning of reclaiming control over my life. Moving to New Mexico became a fresh start, both physically and emotionally. For the first time, I experienced what it felt like to be surrounded by a supportive community. Working as a mental health technician at the University of New Mexico Children’s Psychiatric Hospital was a pivotal part of my healing journey. In that role, I worked closely with children and adolescents who were navigating their own mental health challenges. I saw reflections of my younger self in many of them, the same pain, confusion, and desire to be understood. This experience not only deepened my empathy but also helped me reframe my past. Rather than viewing my struggles solely as obstacles, I began to see them as sources of insight and connection. It was through this work that I discovered occupational therapy. I was drawn to its holistic approach; one that recognizes the importance of meaningful activities, routines, and environments in shaping mental health. Occupational therapy aligned with my belief that healing is not just about reducing symptoms, but about helping individuals build lives that feel purposeful and fulfilling. My own journey showed me how powerful it can be to regain a sense of agency and identity. These experiences have also reshaped how I approach relationships. I have learned the importance of vulnerability, boundaries, and trust. Where I once felt the need to hide my struggles, I now understand the value of sharing them in safe and supportive spaces. My relationships today are grounded in authenticity rather than fear, and that shift has been essential to my continued growth. Ultimately, my journey with mental health adversity has not defined me, but it has shaped me. It has instilled in me a deep sense of compassion, resilience, and purpose. As I pursue a career in occupational therapy, I carry these lessons with me, committed to supporting others as they navigate their own paths toward healing.

My journey with mental health has been shaped by grief, survival, and ultimately, growth. It is not a linear story, but one marked by loss, resilience, and the gradual rebuilding of my sense of self. These experiences have deeply influenced my beliefs, relationships, and my commitment to pursuing a career in occupational therapy within the mental health field. I was first introduced to mental health struggles at a young age through profound personal loss. The deaths of my father and grandmother were not only devastating but also formative. At just 13 years old, I turned to substances as a way to cope with overwhelming grief. What began as an attempt to numb pain became a pattern that followed me throughout my adolescence and into early adulthood. Substance use became less about choice and more about survival, a way to avoid confronting emotions that felt too heavy to carry. As I entered college, these struggles intensified. The death of my father during this time compounded my grief, making it even more difficult to maintain stability. Around the same period, I found myself in a physically abusive relationship. This experience further isolated me and reinforced patterns of secrecy and self-reliance. I hid both the abuse and my addictions from those closest to me, convinced that vulnerability would only lead to more pain or judgment. These experiences shaped my early beliefs about relationships, teaching me to equate love with endurance rather than safety, and independence with isolation rather than strength. Despite these challenges, there came a turning point. I made the decision to leave that relationship and remove myself from the environment that was perpetuating my pain. It marked the beginning of reclaiming control over my life. Moving to New Mexico became a fresh start, both physically and emotionally. For the first time, I experienced what it felt like to be surrounded by a supportive community. Working as a mental health technician at the University of New Mexico Children’s Psychiatric Hospital was a pivotal part of my healing journey. In that role, I worked closely with children and adolescents who were navigating their own mental health challenges. I saw reflections of my younger self in many of them, the same pain, confusion, and desire to be understood. This experience not only deepened my empathy but also helped me reframe my past. Rather than viewing my struggles solely as obstacles, I began to see them as sources of insight and connection. It was through this work that I discovered occupational therapy. I was drawn to its holistic approach; one that recognizes the importance of meaningful activities, routines, and environments in shaping mental health. Occupational therapy aligned with my belief that healing is not just about reducing symptoms, but about helping individuals build lives that feel purposeful and fulfilling. My own journey showed me how powerful it can be to regain a sense of agency and identity. These experiences have also reshaped how I approach relationships. I have learned the importance of vulnerability, boundaries, and trust. Where I once felt the need to hide my struggles, I now understand the value of sharing them in safe and supportive spaces. My relationships today are grounded in authenticity rather than fear, and that shift has been essential to my continued growth. Ultimately, my journey with mental health adversity has not defined me, but it has shaped me. It has instilled in me a deep sense of compassion, resilience, and purpose. As I pursue a career in occupational therapy, I carry these lessons with me, committed to supporting others as they navigate their own paths toward healing.

I am Victoria and I have not only served in supporting mental health adversities amongst children and adolescents, but I have also been a victim of mental health adversities myself. At 13 I experienced the brutal death of my Grandmother, Helen. I was the first responder to her passing which left the image of her body and blood ingrained in my underdeveloped brain. After her passing I could not cope with what I had witnessed and soon turned to drugs like marijuana, nicotine, cocaine and basically anything I could find. This quickly became an addiction as I masked the underlying causes of drug seeking behaviors. Later in life I continued to struggle with marijuana, nicotine, and Adderall as I went into college. As I started college I then found myself in a physically abusive relationship as well as my father experiencing a heart attack and stroke. I spent the entirety of my undergraduate studies high. I managed to juggle caring for my father, navigating an abusive relationship, living without assistance, and keeping my grades high. I truly do not know how I managed to keep a 3.6 GPA throughout but I did. My Father then died my junior year of college and again I masked witnessing his decomposing body by continuing to smoke marijuana and nicotine. However, once I graduated with my B.S. in Psychology I car-camped across the United States and forced myself to get sober and re-evaluate my life. I looked back and was able to recognize that my pattern of hidden self destruction was hurting my relationships with others and my relationship with myself. I was very good at hiding my reliance on substances to cope with day to day activities that my family and friends had no idea I was using frequently. This fact hurt me the most as I carried and still carry guilt for my lies. Not only was I hiding substance abuse but I was also hiding from my loved ones the danger that I was in due to the toxic relationship I had endured for four years. Through my independent growth I was then able to tell the people I love about what I had been hiding for years. Because of their support and my strive to make a better life for myself I was able to move to New Mexico from Ohio all by myself and began working as a mental health technician for children and adolescents at a non-profit hospital. Through getting clean and immersing myself in my community I found myself being healed. I have continued my pursuit of lifting others up and now am pursuing occupational therapy so I can blend my love of movement and sensory therapy with the needs of behavioral health amongst adolescents. While my experiences altered my life in negative ways they also opened my mind to the work of occupational therapists. Occupational therapy is a versatile field where I can combine my creativity, experiences, and skills I learn in my Masters to develop plans that serve the complex cases that I will see.