Occupational Therapy graduate school application

This paper is for a graduate school application. I am suppose to complete a personal statement: I have written majority of the essay with my ideas and personal experiences but I need help pulling it together, using better words or phrases to catch the readers attention with references added to fit the criteria. I didn’t have a high GPA so I need to this essay to be a moving piece. I would apricate if you can expand on what I wrote professionally and revise or rephrase some statements. It is suppose to be a short paper (2 pages) in which the applicant describes and discusses his/her understanding of occupational therapy, and connection to the profession. Cite three current and relevant references. Please use one-inch margins, double spacing, and Times New Roman 12 font. The graduate program is looking for a well suited for the adult learner who is motivated, self-directed and takes charge of his/her own learning and focuses their learning on hands on experiences

In 2018, I met a little boy with autism that completely changed my outlook on life. He and his mother traveled to the United States on a six-month visa in search for help due to the lack of resources their country had for children with disabilities. “Please tell me what to do, I don’t know what to do anymore” his mom pleaded to us. He was behavioral, nonverbal, he couldn’t sit still for more than ten minutes, and couldn’t indicate when he needed to use the restroom. It was a challenge but with my team I knew it wasn’t impossible. Coming from no prior school experience or early intervention, he later learned how to sit still for more than ten minutes, request bathroom and “more” in sign language, and wave hello, and even hold a pencil. Though, this may not seem like major accomplishments, it was for his mother and me. I was able to give his mother hope and prove to her and myself that what we may think is impossible can very much be possible with time and patience.

This experience, along with many others in time of working with children with disabilities, is what motivates me to continue my education in Occupational therapy. It gives people the chance to learn how to live their lives as independently as possible doing what is important to them or necessary for them. I’ve always had the drive to help people but once I became a part of the educational system it became more than just helping, I want to make a difference. Working with children of special needs has given me an insight into how different disabilities impact the lives of not only the person but their families as well. Through my work, it is important to me that I help show families how to… Working in a low-income area, knowing that there are parents that must turn their lives around in order to be there for their child but still have to work or children that don’t have the support at home that cant fend for themselves is what motivates me to help them learn to be independent.

As a teacher’s assistant and ABA therapist, I’ve become a part of the process in helping children through developmental milestones. Whether it involved me teaching them how to hold a pencil, tie their shoelaces, cut and write or even interacting with family/friends, it was all towards the goal of helping them become independent and make it easier for them to navigate through life. It brought happiness to them and their families and in my opinion that is what occupational therapy is all about.

I was not the best student academically in my undergrad years. Before college, I lost my older brother through gun violence. He was only 25. I watched my single mother work struggle to two jobs to provide for her family my whole life. We’ve overcame many hardships, but as I’ve gotten older, I learned that your weakness can also be your greatest strengths.