Avery Fornaciari is an entry-level third year student in the 2023 cohort of Western New England University’s (WNE) Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program. Ms. Fornaciari graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in May of 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Social Science and Medicine. In her undergraduate career, Avery Fornaciari was a 4-year division II collegiate swimmer and was a two-time captain. She was awarded Swimmer of the Year by the Northeast-10 conference (2020), the Scholar Athlete Sports Excellence Award (2020), and is a CSCAA All-American (2020). In the summers off from her studies Avery was a head lifeguard in her hometown and taught swim lessons locally. Her passion for water-based activities was multi-faceted then, and has only grown since pursing her degree in Occupational Therapy.

During her time at WNE she has been involved in multiple of her program’s organizations as Co-Chair of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD) WNE Chapter, Co-Chair of Pre-Occupational Therapy Committee, and Social Media Coordinator for both Interprofessional Student Alliance and Inspired Minds. In addition, she was a Graduate Assistant and a WNE OTD Student Ambassador. Fornaciari was awarded the WNE OTD Student of the Year Award in May 2022 and the Excellence in Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Education honor in April of 2021. She was additionally inducted as a member of Pi Theta Epsilon for her academic achievement and leadership in 2021. 

In her spare time, she enjoys going out to eat, watching new movies with her family and friends, traveling, and discussing all things OT!

"If you are not treating the person as a whole, 

you are not treating them at all."