SOPHIE ALENA A. FUENTES

Educational background:

Tertiary Education

Velez College - B.S. Occupational Therapy

F. Ramos St. Cebu City, Cebu

August 2019 - Present

Secondary Education

University of San Carlos— North School

Nasipit, Talamban, Cebu City, Cebu

S.Y 2017 - 2019

Sibonga National High School

Yati, Liloan, Cebu

S.Y 2013 - 2016

Primary Education

Taloot Central Elementary School

Taloot Argao Cebu

S.Y 2007 - 2013

Achievements:

• College

Dean’s Lister SY 2021-2022 (First Semester)

Dean’s Lister SY 2020-2021 (First and Second Semester)

Dean’s Lister SY 2019 – 2020 (First and Second Semester)

• Extracurriculars

Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Incorporated Leadership Training

Kool Adventure Camp, Transcentral Highway, Camsomoroy, Balamban, Cebu

January 21, 2015

Annual Southeast Cebu Area Schools Press Conference

Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy, Minglanilla, Cebu

November 12, 2016

Annual Division Schools Press Conference

RV Alquizola Memorial Sports Complex, Barili, Cebu

November 25, 2016

Division Science Fair

Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy, Minglanilla, Cebu

December 9,2016

The Crystal Voice, Editor in Chief

Sibonga National High School

2016-2017

My experience as an OT student in Velez College:

Three years ago, I never heard or knew anything about occupational therapy. I wanted to be an engineer. However, I was not calculus-savvy enough to convince myself I was going to make a good engineer. I asked for a sign if engineering was for me and God knows my brain well enough and decided not to give me the sign I was asking for. My lack of confidence in my math skills led me to medical programs. The option was medical technology, dentistry, and nursing. After several months of introspection, I have decided to boycott all researched college programs and take the risk to enroll in a career path I have zero knowledge of --- occupational therapy. Fast forward to today, I fell in love with the profession. The journey was not glamorous, though. I have had multiple thoughts about giving up and days where I feel like I have made a terrible decision in not pursuing my dream profession. I still get bouts of similar thoughts but unlike before, now, I genuinely appreciate how beautiful and satisfying this profession is. With that, I am beyond grateful to all the people I met, the friendships I built, and to our instructors who tirelessly mold us into competent practitioners; the road to getting here was not easy to pave but they made the journey worth every sweat and tears shed.

My Component:

Mental Health and Humanitarian Crisis component, but worked with Livelihood Components to implement the “It’s the Tote that Counts” program.

Planning CBH&R Programs:

In the early stages of our CBR class, we were tasked to formulate programs for the psychological needs of our chosen population. I was looking forward to hearing what the parents and children had to say about their emotional and psychological status as what they have been through is surely not a walk in the park and as future occupational therapists there is something we can do about their emotional battles. During our preliminary interviews, my heart was already invested with the advocacy of E-HOPE. Upon hearing their stories, formulating a suitable program was challenging but I was lucky enough to be working with people who are also passionate about extending their services to those in need. In a nutshell, the entire planning process was fruitful. I learned a lot from my groupmates, the staff of E-HOPE and from the parents and children.

Designing CBH&R Program:

My experience in designing a CBH&R programFollowing the stakeholders meeting that we conducted, we designed programs based on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats reported by the population. Through the semi-structured interviews, we were able to get the gist of the needs of the parents and the children. During this stage, I was assigned to one of the three proposed programs for our component called “#BeYoutiful: Self-esteem worksheets.” The program was proposed in response to the concern expressed by one of the children about her being unprepared to experience alopecia. This program is a great way to safeguard the self-esteem of the children as this aspect of their life is not only instrumental for their physicality but also their overall well-being.

Implementing CBH&R Programs:

The final part of our CBR course tasked us to implement a program for a specific need of our population. Our group was assigned to implement a livelihood program. We called our program “It’s the tote that counts” as it encompassed painting tote bags for purchase. On the implementation day, I was one of the lucky students who facilitated the implementation on the field. The experience was irreplaceable. I had a chance to work not just with my batchmates but also with the parents, children and staff of E-HOPE. Everybody was very kind. Seeing the kids and parents enjoy and pay interest in our program inspired me and made me realize that occupational therapy really does play a significant role in all aspects of life and in all ages. We do not just concern ourselves with dressing, feeding and toileting. We have so much more to offer.

When I was in first year I heard about community based rehabilitation programs and how difficult it was. I heard that it requires a lot of patience and resourcefulness, two things I am scarce of. With that, I knew I was never going to work in the community setting. Truly, when I finally experienced it, I can attest that everything I heard was true. What’s different now is that I enjoyed every second of it, especially the implementation. Maybe because I have always been into taking care of kids. Maybe because the staff of E-HOPE made it easy for us. Maybe because I was working with great people.

With all the maybes and doubts though, I am certain of one thing— the conversations that I had with the kids, the parents and the staff made me want this profession more. However, with what I have experienced, I realized that although community based rehabilitation does not pay you much money compared to other settings, CBR is the field that pays you the most meaningful stories— stories that even money can’t buy.