Her Story
About Nicole
I'm currently a junior at Drew University studying Neuroscience and Psychology with a minor in public health, and I'm working toward becoming a pediatric occupational therapist. This summer, I'm gaining hands-on experience by shadowing OTs, speech therapists, and ABA therapists, all working with children with severe autism, both low functioning and high functioning. I'm also a student athlete, which takes up a lot of my time, and I coach tennis, doing private lessons and running tennis camp. I've always known I wanted to do something medical because I love helping people and seeing that smile on their face when they achieve something. That started when I was tennis coaching - it's such a small thing, but when the kids would get something down, they'd have this big smile on their face. I started babysitting and worked with a family that moved here from New York because their insurance wouldn't cover the child's OT, PT, and speech therapy that he needed. I would bring him to his appointments and sit with him during them, and I would see that delivery of care, and I just really loved it. Through my sorority and other programs, we did volunteer work, including a camp where we taught people with disabilities to play tennis, and I kind of saw everything mixing together. My sister has been a huge inspiration to me - she also plays tennis and is pursuing a similar field. I graduate in 2028 and then I'll do grad school after that.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Nicole
01What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
I would say the most important, probably a little basic, but just follow your passion. You know at the end of the day what you're feeling, and if you can put in everything to what you're doing, and when you feel that, and when you're ready to show up and work every single day, you are where you know you should be.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say don't be discouraged. You're not gonna know everything at first, you're not gonna learn everything in the classroom. Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone, put yourself in the environment to really learn and understand what that field is all about.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say some of the biggest would be just helping people achieve a high quality of care in their life, and not just physically, but there's such a mental aspect to it, and I think that's so important. It's not that there's special needs, it's not something they specially need specific to them. It's helping them achieve what everybody else can already do, and that's so important, and people don't recognize that enough.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say being extremely compassionate for others and sympathetic at times, but also just being patient and caring, very loving to everybody. Sometimes it can be difficult to keep that love when you don't feel too patient, but just keeping that and being present in every moment.
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