Aaron's Blog

Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) Development! 

One part about being an Occupational Therapy Student that I was most excited about was joining the Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA). It is a student-led organization that elects, votes, and proposes individuals and ideas that represent the OTD program at the state and national level. I was thrilled to hear that our class would create our organization from the ground up, establishing the foundation for cohorts to follow. 

With a lot of help from faculty and OTD students from other programs, we were able to set up an executive board, state and national representatives, and begin brainstorming on community outreach. SOTA has allowed me to work with my cohort in ways that better us as students, and introduce occupational therapy to the community at large. 

I was honored to be voted as our American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) representative, and have made it my mission to communicate and emphasize the events happening at the national level within our field, and my goal is to inspire students to promote change for the future of our profession. I am privileged to attend the national conference this April and can’t wait to share the exciting news with you and my cohort!

Students and faculty at the Oregon OT Conference in November! 

My Time at AOTA Conference 2025 in Philadelphia 

My trip to Philadelphia, PA was filled with fun, learning, and copious amounts of networking with other OT professionals and inspired vendors. Over the 3 days I was there I attended multiple sessions and seminars, as well as had the chance to meet with practitioners who shared similar interests and tips for professional development. My days were filled with opportunities to hear what was new in the field of Occupational Therapy, chances to connect with fieldwork coordinators from out of state, and brainstorm potential Capstone ideas based on conversations and presentations I was fortunate enough to participate in. One of the highlights of the conference was attending the National Black Occupational Therapy Caucus meet and greet where I not only met community leaders and was introduced to original founders of the caucus, but my colleagues and I were recognized for establishing the Oregon chapter. I made lasting connections with individuals who embodied my passion for the profession, who also encouraged my curiosities and made me feel apart of a larger community. I look forward to pursuing opportunities to represent the Western Oregon OTD program, and my own professional development through the AOTA network and the connections I will continue to make.