Statement of Purpose

Throughout my life I have never found motivation to be a difficult thing to come by. Maybe it is my naturally competitive nature, or the constant strive to better myself, but those seem to never compare to the motivation I have for helping others. It began as far back as I remember, and has only grown since then. Growing up, my house revolved around pitching in, providing assistance, and doing more than asked. This was all necessary in order to help my brother, Tyler, who was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy shortly after his premature birth. During the summer months when vacationing from school, Tyler worked with many different therapists, including physical, speech, and occupational therapists. Seeing the benefits these professionals brought my brother was life changing, and motivating. Since the age of six I knew occupational therapy was my calling career. Starting in high school and progressing into college, I have shadowed and observed OTs in the geriatric and personally preferredpediatric setting. I was inspired by the incredible transformations and positive impact the patients achieved with the help of occupational therapy. After searching for colleges, I knew the University of Nebraska Lincoln was the right choice for me, and declared my major under Pre-Occupational Therapy and SpeechLanguage Pathology. With the help of an undergraduate degree in speech pathology, this will only extend my knowledge and give my training larger dimension when working with and assisting children with disabilities. Being well rounded and educated in multiple aspects of the therapy children will be receiving will only benefit my decisions on equipment use and therapy activities during the patients sessions. I look forward to continuing my career at a graduate school and earning a masters degree in Occupational Therapy. I believe that in the future my services to children will help them to reach their full potential, no matter their limitations. Working on and strengthening the skills my clients already utilize will be my main focus, while integrating new skills in order for them to grow in their abilities. I strongly believe that anyone, despite handicaps or disabilities, can achieve anything someone who is physically and mentally able, just in modified or accommodated ways. This is the key factor in my intent and what I will work case-by-case in problem solving. Because you are faced with a problem to solve, does not mean you are of less fortune, but more fortunate and appreciative because of the strength it will bring you. When teamed with the right therapy, and a driven and motivated therapist, improvement and capability will be gained. I plan to be that therapist who will bring benefit to the lives of children with disabilities.