黑料导航

Paying it Forward

鈥淢ake sure you do what you love,鈥� says 黑料导航 student Alicia Terry Jones, quoting her mother. A student in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, Terry Jones takes her mother鈥檚 words to heart as she pursues this allied health profession, eager to fulfill her desire to 鈥済ive a person鈥檚 life back鈥� and assist her future patients in 鈥渓iving life in a new way.鈥� 

罢丑别听School of Health Professions聽student didn鈥檛 always know this was the path she would take. With a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology and a postbaccalaureate certificate in business, Terry Jones鈥� interest in occupational therapy (OT) didn鈥檛 develop until her mother, a Committees on Special Education board member for a school district in Suffolk County, alerted her to the growing need for OT professionals in school settings.

鈥淎fter life changes and the birth of my daughter, I understood that a career in OT would afford a lot more job stability and security than my previous positions in the business world and market research,鈥� says Terry Jones of her career change. 鈥淔or all the health professions areas I could have chosen, I gravitated toward OT as I love the restorative opportunities it grants those being treated.鈥�

Her young daughter in mind, Terry Jones did not want to relocate for her doctoral studies, so she opted for 黑料导航 with its proximity to her Long Island home. She鈥檚 glad she chose the university, saying the experiential education opportunities she has participated in have proven invaluable to her success as a professional.

鈥淭he favorite part of my OT degree program has been the experiential knowledge that I receive from my professors in and out of the classroom,鈥� Terry Jones says. 鈥淭hey show, using real-life examples, how they have incorporated their knowledge into their own practice, which has been very motivating.鈥�

When she鈥檚 not leading a group of kindergarten girls in her church鈥檚 Girls Ministries organization, teaching her church’s Sunday school class for middle schoolers, or traveling and baking with her daughter, Terry Jones can be found working on her OT capstone project. 

Aligned with her goal to practice OT in an elementary school setting, ultimately becoming a professor of the discipline, her thesis focuses on students with handwriting challenges such as dysgraphia, a neurological disorder impairing writing ability, and the effect these challenges have on their self-esteem. 

When she graduates in 2025, Terry Jones hopes to secure a position within the Central Islip Union Free School District鈥檚 elementary school so she can give back to her community and provide resources to people of color to increase their access to care, especially their access to occupational therapy. 

鈥淎sk questions鈥攍ots of questions!鈥� Terry Jones offers as advice to her peers and future OT students. 鈥淲e have great professors who are always willing to answer and help us learn.鈥�