A third-year doctor of occupational therapy (OTD) student at Western New England University, Samantha received her Bachelors of Science in Public Health with a minor in Studio Art from Stockton University in 2017. Currently, she is near completion of her Doctoral Experiential (DEx) project and is on track to graduate in August of 2021. Samantha has extensive work experience as a rehabilitation aide in outpatient orthopedics and hand therapy, and she has won numerous awards for her leadership skills and community involvement.

Samantha has completed Level I fieldwork across a variety of settings: assisted and skilled nursing facilities, early intervention, a traditional preschool, public elementary schools, a nontraditional high school, a mental health inpatient facility, as well as in a community-based setting. Additionally, she has also spent time working at the Therapeutic Equestrian Center and with the Center for Human Development--primarily with their adaptive recreational programs such as summer camp, sled hockey, fishing, and CrossFit.

She completed her first level II fieldwork placement at Advanced Hand Rehabilitation, a well-known and reputable hand therapy clinic based in New Jersey. Her second placement was with West Deptford Public Schools in New Jersey. At this site, she worked with students of all abilities that were enrolled in Pre-K through fourth grade, as well as students in the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) classrooms. In her Level II placements, she learned how to administer various types of assessments, proper and thorough documentation methods, activity and environmental analysis and modifications, and the ability to collaborate with both intra- and interprofessional teams.

Samantha enjoys working with individuals of all ages and is especially passionate about working in hand therapy and orthopedics. She hopes to continue working in this setting after graduation and has aspirations to attain her credentials as a certified hand therapist (CHT). In addition to her goal to become a CHT, Samantha also has interests in ocean therapy, nature-based therapy, equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT), and similar non-traditional settings that involve the outdoors.

She is a past graduate assistant within the OTD program, past president of her university's Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA), student facilitator on My OT Journey podcast, and volunteers in animal rescue and on a committee dedicated to making local beaches accessible to individuals with disabilities. In her free time, she enjoys collecting sea glass, playing in her beach volleyball league, spending time out in nature with her dogs, and at hockey games and other events with friends and family.