My Experience
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INTERNSHIP
During my last semester at Auburn University, I completed an occupational therapy internship at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Alabama. During this full-time, 450-hour internship, I acquired many skills that will support me in the future. I was able to assist and learn from so many different patients and cases such as joint replacements, strokes, cancer, dementia, and more. I was able to aid with educating patients, planning and executing treatments, gathering supplies for treatments, encouraging patients, and more. This internship taught me so much professionally, academically, and personally. As an occupational therapy intern, I learned about advocacy, patience, professionalism, and more. I am grateful for this opportunity and the way that it prepared me for my future profession as an occupational therapist.
Photo Credit: Visual Visitor
Photo Credit: East Alabama Medical Center
Photo Credit: MapQuest
Photo Credit: Auburn City Schools Facebook
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SHADOWING
During my junior year at Auburn University, I was given the opportunity to shadow occupational therapists in two different settings: Regional Rehabilitation Hospital and Auburn City Schools. Over the course of my shadowing experience, I was able to learn from three outstanding occupational therapists. Shadowing at Regional Rehabilitation Hospital showed me the clinical side of occupational therapy and taught me so much about inpatient acute care. My shadowing experience in Auburn City Schools showed me a side of occupational therapy that I did not know existed and taught me how therapy and school intertwine. These experiences matured me as a person and as a student and I am grateful for what I learned.
FAMILY IN CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE
Definition Credit: Auburn University
While completing my senior year at Auburn University, I was able to take a class called HDFS 4680: Family in Cross-Cultural Perspective. The main purpose of this class was the "examination of family function and diversity in cultures and family systems around the world." I was nervous to take this class at first because I had never taken a class similar to this one before, but it turned out to be one of the most important classes I had taken at Auburn. We learned about culture, identity, race, ethnicity, ability, disability, mental health, and more. Each lesson, story, and experience in this class taught me more about myself, those similar to me, and those different than me. This class made an eternal impact on me because it gave me the tools to appropriately and successfully interact with and help the people around me, regardless of the circumstance.
ORPHANAGE EMMANUEL
For three summers during my high school years, I had the opportunity to serve the children of Orphanage Emmanuel in Guaimaca, Honduras. The children at the orphanage are perseverant, strong, and loving and they taught me how to be powerful in hard situations. During these mission trips, I was able to get experience handling, mentoring, and caring for children of all ages, ranging from newborn babies to young adults. I have always had a heart for children, especially those who are underserved like the ones at the orphanage. Being around these young men and women showed me a glimpse of what working with this population would look like and how to have meaningful interactions with them. I believe that if I work with this age group in the future, this opportunity has given me insight and experience that has prepared me.
Photo Credit: Leslie Melton; Kim Hudson
OAK PARK NURSING HOME
I was a volunteer at Oak Park Nursing Home during my freshman year at Auburn University and it was an eye-opening experience. In a class of mine, we were given the opportunity to pick an organization to volunteer with that correlated with the age group that we wanted to work with in the future. I have had lots of experience working with and being around children and young adults, so I wanted to choose something a little different. I have always had a heart for and have felt led to serve and be with the elderly, so I was very excited about this opportunity. My job here was as simple as spending time with the residents and taking them to the activities for the day, participating with them, and then taking them back to their rooms after we were finished with the activity. Some of these activities were things like fingernail painting, jewelry making, Mardi Gras parties, birthday parties, and more. Being able to sit and talk with the residents twice a week was the highlight of my days, and it filled me with so much hope and happiness for the future and what I want to pursue with occupational therapy. I will always cherish my time here and learned so much that will positively influence me in my future career.
HUDSON FAMILY FOUNDATION
In 2009, my parents created the Hudson Family Foundation. The mission of our foundation is to identify areas of need of children and families in our communities and meet those needs, whether it is physical, emotional, or financial assistance. Being a part of something like this has been not only eye-opening but has allowed me to have more experience helping and serving children and adults. Our foundation has annual events such as Shop with Santa, Legends Club, Rookie Reader Program, and more. These events have allowed me to acquire skills such as communication, planning, observing, and encouraging, all of which will be beneficial for my future. All of the experiences that I have been blessed enough to participate in through the Hudson Family Foundation have made me a better person and have given me more insight into working with children and their families. I am grateful for all of the memories and I can not wait for future experiences! The link below the gallery of pictures will take you to the Hudson Family Foundation website to learn more about us and our programs.
All photos used are taken from the Hudson Family Foundation Website with permission.
All photos are of Shop with Santa, Legends Club, and the Rookie Reader Program, respectively.