A few weeks ago, in my OT Interpersonal Dynamics class, we had a guest speaker come present for us. TJ is a graduate of the University of Scranton and a war veteran. He was injured while serving in Iraq a few years ago. TJ is now totally blind in both eyes and uses a guide dog in his everyday life to help him to navigate through his environment. Having him come speak to us about the day to day challenges he faces and the positive impact his service dog has had on his life was inspiring.

On Thursday, the University’s Occupational Therapy Association hosted an event to help raise money for the America’s VetDogs. American’s VetDogs  is an association that sponsors various dog programs, including a guide dog program, a hearing dog program, a service dog program, and others. Several vet dogs came to our campus and donations were made to interact and learn more about these amazing, life changing animals.  The event was a lot of fun and helped to raise money for a great organization.

Another OT event that occurred last week was the Specialty Fair. At this event, occupational therapists from a variety of settings, backgrounds and areas come to campus and give presentations on their area of expertise. As a graduate student, I will looking for a job within the next year so this is a great opportunity to get an idea of the many different practice areas that I could potentially work in. It is great being able to talk to actual practitioners who are currently working to get a feel of what to expect as recent graduates in the field.

Saturday I registered for classes for the last time! It is so hard to wrap my head around the fact that I will never again register for a University of Scranton course (as long as I don’t fail anything). I knew this day would come but I didn’t realize how soon. The semester is more than half way over and I am just not ready for my final semester as a Scranton student. So, time, will you please slow down?!

Have a good week everyone & enjoy your Halloween weekend! I’ll be sure to post a picture of my costume next week so be sure to check back 🙂

Hi all!

This past weekend made me realize how proud I am to have attended such a close-knit university that really cares for all its students, both past and present.  On Saturday, a memorial 5K walk/run was held at Nay Aug Park to remember Michael Mulhall, a graduate of the University of Scranton class of 2010.  Michael was a loved son, brother and friend of many throughout the Scranton community.  The event is held to raise money for the Michael Mulhall Memorial Scholarship given to University of Scranton students pursuing a career in special education.

Despite the fact that it was predicted to rain all day, the sun came out to shine as people complete the 5K wearing t-shirts designed for the event.  The event was a huge success, raising almost $10,000! Although I did not personally know Michael, I can imagine that he was truly an incredible person loved by many, as shown by the incredible support of friends and family who came to the event.

It is events such as this one that remind me how incredibly lucky I am to attend such an amazing school.  I think its great that Scranton students, both past and present, are always there for each other.  This was proven this weekend by the number of people who came out to support Michael, despite never having met him, but because he was a Scranton student.  I think this is so because Scranton is such a school that promotes a sense of community amongst all of its students.

Add that to the list of reasons I love my school, a list that seems to be growing every day. I can’t imagine having found a school where I feel as much at home as I do here. At Scranton, we really are all one big family, always there for one another and helping each other to grow in the best ways possible.

As much as I love it here, I do have to say that I am excited to go home and see my real family this weekend for Fall Break. I cannot believe that it is already October and the middle of the semester… time needs to slow down! Each day that passes is one day closer to me no longer being a student here (SO SAD) even though I know I will be always be welcome back and will forever be a part of the Scranton family!

Have a good break everyone! 🙂

Kara