I am an occupational therapy graduate student at Mary Baldwin University expected to graduate in May 2025. As a part of my doctoral graduate program, we complete a capstone project and experience on topic we are passionate towards. My capstone project targets the athletic population at MBU and is focused on mental health promotion. This website was created as a part of this project to serve as a resource hub to access various aspects of my project.
Mental health is something that is important to me, and it should be normalized and discussed more frequently. Mental health is just as important as physical health.
I attended Bridgewater College for undergrad where I played Division III Field Hockey and graduate in 2022. During my time at Bridgewater, I was first introduced to the idea of mental health being a component in athletics. I learned so much about myself, experienced great highs and great lows, and grew in so many areas of my life. I struggled with negative self-talk, lack of self-love, disordered eating, anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal attempts. I have learned to prioritize my mental health and it has made all the difference in my life. My personal lived experience drives my passion for this topic and in combination with my OT education, I plan to make a difference.
My capstone project runs from January 13th through April 18th of 2025. I am working under the mentorship of Christine Flory, the Health and Wellness Coordinator at Mary Baldwin. My personal mission is to educate college athletes while advocating for the role occupational therapy plays in mental health. I will do this by providing evidence on the societal need of mental health programs in this population, while being vulnerable and able to share my own personal experience to empower others. The overarching goal of this capstone project is to increase knowledge, awareness, and availability of MH resources and strategies on campus to utilize.
Though my capstone process will eventually end, this website will serve as a way to continue the advocacy efforts by bringing awareness of mental health to the athletic population at MBU while simultaneously working to break the stigma that surrounds it.
