OTA engages with campus community
Departments across campus have different ways of connecting with their respective students. Some programs offer soup suppers and the International Rescue and Relief (IRR) program goes camping.
One overlooked part of campus is now seeking to engage with all students and faculty across campus.The Occupational Therapy Assistant department has been leading out in several new, peer-led groups this semester for all students to enjoy. These workshops have varied from topics from social media health to letter writing.
The Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program is the newest program for Union College to offer, first accepting applications in late 2018. It is unique in being a 2-year course, allowing students to graduate with an associate’s degree in about half the time of other programs on campus. The major was added as part of Union’s drive to continue to innovate and improve our offerings as a college. Occupational therapy assistants help those who are suffering from injuries, illnesses, or disabilities to develop skills for daily living. It is one of the fastest-growing careers in the United States at this time.
Miranda Chaffee, a senior OTA student from Dallas, OR, loves the opportunity to engage with the rest of our campus community during these events. “I love the people in the program,” she said, “but it’s also really nice to meet and engage with people who you don’t see everyday and make other friends.”
Recently, the OTA department wrapped up “Off the Grid,” which was designed to be a 3 part meeting held once a week to invite students and faculty to disconnect from technology and then reconnect with friends and peers. The sessions involved letter writing, which was fun because “nobody gets letters anymore … anytime I get a card from a family member, it just … brings a smile to my face,” Chaffee said.
The participants also performed random acts of kindness as part of the events. They wrote meaningful messages in chalk on various sidewalks across Union’s campus, mainly concentrated near the statue of Jesus in between the Everett Dick Administration Building and the Ortner Center.“We actually had 1 or 2 people who joined that didn’t even join the group that day,” Chaffee said. “They just thought that it was really fun and they joined in.”
OTA plans to do more events like these in the near future. Make sure to stay tuned to your uGroups feed and join one that interests you!
By: Charles Metz