Pinning Ceremony Student information 1. Name: Virginia “Ginger” Neal 2. Where do you live? Winnsboro, La 3. Where did you get your OTA degree? Name of college and city where it is located. NLU, Monroe, La 4. How many years have you practiced as a COTA? 21 years 5. Where do you practice as a COTA (name of facility and type of setting)? Mary Anna Nursing Home, Skilled Nursing Facility 6. What is your bachelor’s degree in and from where (Name of college and city of location)? Health Studies Management/Marketing, ULM, Monroe, LA 7. Where will you be practicing as an OT? If you have a job, tell us that. If you don’t, tell us your plans/goals for employment. Mary Anna Nursing Home 8. What are your professional goals after OT school? I
would like to help children and adults with adult deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Maybe, in the future open an ADD/ADHD clinic for adults and children. 9. Interesting information about you (special skills, talents, any hobbies, awards, etc….) (keep it clean – these will be read aloud at the ceremony): Running 5k races, hiking, doing craft projects with my children, spending time with my family, and gardening with my husband.
program and a masters program, and ultimately accepted a job with a $35,000 yearly salary. It
The novel Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko follows a young man, Tayo through his journey beginning when he returns home to the Laguna Pueblo Reservation, from World War Two; and is very ill. During the narrative Silko introduces us to Tayo's life before the war, which gives insight to reasons of why Tayo is ill. Through out his illness Tayo goes through many ceremonies both literally and metaphorically to try to cure his ailment. One of the ceremonies that is performed, is lead by Old Ku'oosh, the medicine man, where he performs a cleansing ceremony for someone who has killed someone in battle, even though Tayo doesn't recall killing anyone. However, he adds that this ceremony, which he has been performing for many of the returning war soldiers, has not worked for all of them. He then recommends another medicine man with the tools to cure and perform ceremonies, for the old ceremonies, since the white man had arrived, have not been able to cure the new diseases. Along with the medicine man ceremonies he also goes to American "white" doctors, which also acts as some what of a cleansing for him. In his case vomiting is can also be used as a ceremony for Tayo because he uses it to cleanse his body of the poisons and evil, both physical illness and mental illness. The ceremonies that Tayo goes through whether traditional through a medicine man or contemporary like visits to the psychiatrist and stays in the hospital, all add to his recovery, either through physical or mental cleansing.
The inherent desire to belong to a group is one that is fundamental to human nature. In his article “Evolution and Our Inner Conflict,” Edward O. Wilson writes, “A person’s membership in his group – his tribe – is a large part of his identity.” Wilson explores multilevel group selection and the proclivity for people to define themselves based on their belonging to the group. He goes on to say that people often form these groups with those who look like them and belong to the same culture or ethnic group. In the novels Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko and The Puttermesser Papers by Cynthia Ozick, the identities of the protagonist are predominantly shaped by the ethnicities and heritages that they identify with. The identity of Tayo, the protagonist of the novel Ceremony is largely shaped by his ethnicity as both a Native American and part white. Tayo’s background leads directly to his own identity as an outsider and is central to the storyline. In the novel The Puttermesser Papers by Cynthia Ozick, the title character Puttermesser’s identity and subsequently her story is also influenced by her Jewish heritage.
3. What were your educational preparations for a writing career? I graduated from Pasadena City College in 1968 (Pasadena, California is my hometown). Then I attended California State University, Los Angeles. I also took a few extension classes at UCLA.
The career that interests me the most is Occupational Therapy. I chose to interview Debbie, a Registered Occupational Therapist who received her Bachelor’s in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University. She is working at Lynwood Manor which is a long-term rehabilitation facility.
Where did you study, and what kind of schooling did you complete to get where you are today?
My field of interest once I graduate from WCU is physical therapy. This care specialty uses biomechanics, manual and exercise therapy, electrotherapy, and various other therapy techniques to remediate injuries and impairments, as well as promote mobility. There are several types of physical therapy, including orthopedic, pediatric, geriatric, neurological, pulmonary, and cardiovascular. The field of physical therapy was established in Britain during the late 19th century. Then, in 1921, Mary McMillan established the American Women’s Physical Therapeutic Association, which later became the American Physical Therapist Association.
When I was 15, my grandmother suffered from a severe stroke and was advised to go to a rehabilitation center. At that time I had not ever heard of the profession called occupational therapy. Upon visiting my grandmother, I had the opportunity to witness several health care professionals working together to help rehabilitate her. I have always wanted to engage in a career in which I could attribute to helping people, and at first I thought physical therapy would best compliment my natural abilities but then I encountered the occupational therapist. So as I watched her work with my grandmother diligently I realized that I had found exactly what I was looking for.
Currently, I am attending Waynesburg College in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. majoring in computer science and minoring in business. I have always had a
I find occupational therapy to pique my drive to teach people valuable life skills as well as learn from those people and their experiences. Being an occupational therapist would allow me to have one-on-one interactions with patients and establish meaningful relationships over the course of time. It would also give me the dutiful privilege and responsibility of instilling confidence in others and helping them realize their full potential in self-suffiency. All of my personal experiences, challenges, educational backgrounds, and professional interactions have guided me toward pursuing my goals of gaining experience working in all populations, enabling patients to thrive in their daily lifestyle, and spread public awareness of what OT has
Strong people skills are a must for one with a career in occupational therapy. Working with people is a daily task and often times these people will be dealing with some troublesome aspect of their lives. An OT must also have great problem solving skills. One must be able to talk through problems with a client as w...
OT professionals, I realized this is a field that encourages creativity, empowers individuals, and values of
I look forward to helping them become more independent by aiming for their personal goals and reaching for their full potential. I am enthusiastic in finding a career were I am able to be creative and discover the self-confidence in my patients that will help them succeed. Throughout the coming years, I hope to attain the skills and abilities to succeed in this field. As I further my knowledge in this field I hope to demonstrate ethical decision making and learn to appreciate my role in supporting my patients as they learn to navigate a new world. I hope to educate the community in gaining a better understanding of what occupational therapy is and the overall impact it can make on an individual’s life and
My chosen profession is Healthcare Administration. Healthcare Administrators plan, direct, and coordinate health and medical services in many organizations. They are responsible for administering the financials, managing personnel, maintaining boards, analyzing facility activities, and planning programs (11-9111.00 - Medical and Health Services Managers, n.d.). Depending on specific occupation acquired, several different softwares can be learned. Skills such as administration, customer service, human resources, and accounting are imperative for this career as interacting with people is the majority of this job. It entails reading, speaking, actively listening, critical thinking, and decision making (11-9111.00 - Medical and Health Services
I believe individuals live the highest quality of life by being as independent and functional as possible. When one loses their physical ability to participate in the activities of everyday life due to an injury or illness, it can also have an adverse effect on their mental health and well-being. Occupational Therapy is essential for people to improve and regain the skills needed to live life to the fullest. I want to pursue Occupational Therapy as a career because it is a rewarding profession that works with individuals to improve independence and live a better life given their circumstances. My immense passion to help people and the skills I have gained throughout my educational, professional, and healthcare experiences will allow me