Issue 1‐ September 1st, 2012 

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Dear Occupational Therapy Students,  It is our vision for this publication to become a regular place for students to turn to for information about how AOTA is working for them and how to best utilize the many resources at hand.  We envision this newsletter being a mile stone not only to the progress of the Centennial Vision in of our profession, but also to the empowerment of students who make up a large portion of the current AOTA membership.    We encourage you to get involved and remain involved in your profession as you continue beyond graduation.  Please enjoy and let us know if any improvements can be made, after all it is our job to speak on your behalf.  Sincerely, The 2012 ASD Steering Committee 

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The Assembly of Student Delegates is run by a group of elected student officials.  These students elected to this Steering Committee represent the voice of all students. The students on the Steering Committee are dedicated individuals who are highly motivated and independent, and who possess leadership skills.  

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 Sara Androyna OTA Vice‐Chairperson 

Macomb Community College, MI     

Laura Mills Chairperson and Liaison to the Board of Directors 

The College of St. Scholastica, MN   

Russell Thompson OT Vice‐Chairperson 

Governor's State University, IL 

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Ashley Nichols Secretary 

University of Southern Maine, ME 

Jamie Morris Communications and Advocacy Chairperson 

Loma Linda University, CA 

    

Nicole Cortes Student Representative to the Commission on Education (2‐year term ‐ Serves 2012‐2014) 

Creighton University, NE 

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Andrea McElroy Student Representative to the Commission on 

Practice (2‐year term ‐ Serves 2011‐2013) Thomas Jefferson University, PA 

  Kristin J. Davis 

Student Representative to the Representative Assembly (2‐year term ‐ Serves 2012‐2014) 

Louisiana State University, LA   

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A Message from your Secretary

Hello fellow students! My name is Ashley Nichols and I am completing my final year in the mast of occupational therapy program at the University of Southern Maine. In addition to my busy life as a student, I currently serve as Secretary for the Assembly of Student Delegates Steering Committee. You may be curious as to what the role of ASD Steering Committee Secretary consists of and I am here to tell you! The secretary serves for a one year term. My term runs from April 2012 to April 2013. As the secretary to the ASD Steering Committee I am responsible for recording the minutes during all of our meetings. Once I have typed and edited the meeting minutes, I then forward them to my fellow ASD Steering Committee members (as well as our ASD AOTA liaison) for review. I also work very closely with my fellow committee members, assisting with projects and volunteering when needed. During November, my fellow committee members and I will be given the opportunity to assist with the 2012 Student Conclave which will be held in Columbus, Ohio. In addition to the student conclave, we will play a role at the AOTA National Conference, which will be held in San Diego during April of 2013. I have thoroughly enjoyed my position of secretary and am extremely thankful to have been given the opportunity to serve in this position. If you have any questions regarding my position as secretary please feel free to contact me via OTConnections – my username is Ashley Nichols.

How can you get involved?

•  Run for an office position on the Steering Committee

•  Become a AOTA Student Delegate for your school http://www.aota.org/Students/ASD.aspx

•  Get involved with or create a Student Occupation Therapy Association “SOTA” at your school

•  Join live chat sessions hosted by the Steering Committee

•  Get connected to other OT’s and OT students on OTConnections http://otconnections.aota.org/

•  Stay tuned for exciting events for students to get involved with that we will be highlighting in this newsletter!

Want to feel more involved? Understand more about AOTA?  Do something other than study? 

•  Create a 30‐60 sec video to promote the SCC and why it’s so important to make that pledge •  Include: 

*How AOTA helps recent graduates succeed *How making the pledge will help AOTA grow and empower the OT profession 

•  Submit it via YouTube and email by October 12, 2012 •  Vote online for your favorite, details to come… •  Listen for your video to be announced and showcased at Student Conclave 

on November 9‐10, 2012 

To learn more about the SCC, visit www.aota.org/scc  Rules: All videos must be received by midnight on October 12, 2012. No excepRons! Please send a link to your video (on YouTube or some other site) to afogle@aota.org (do not send the video as an aXachment). Videos cannot exceed 60 seconds (that includes everything). Everyone credited with creaRng the winning video will be required to sign over copyright of the video to AOTA. Therefore, all submiXers must be ready to provide documentaRon that they own the copyright to any images and music used, that these items are in the public domain (please note that just because something is on the Internet doesn’t mean it it’s in the public domain), or that they have received permission from the copyright holder to use the informaRon in the video, with no sRpulaRons on this use. SubmiXers are responsible for any fees to get these permissions. Anyone filmed in the video must sign a release. You do not need to send this informaRon unless we inform you that you that you are a finalist. The finalists will be selected by the ASD steering commiXee, and the winning video will be chosen by AOTA student members and informed by Wednesday, October 29, 2013. QuesRons? Contact afogle@aota.org 

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•  The top 3 schools that receive the highest percentage of NEW SCC enrollment will be entered in a special raffle where 1 lucky person from each school will win a iPad2

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•  Winners will be announced at the Students Un-Conferenced event at the 93rd Annual Conference and Expo in San Diego on April 25, 2013.

•  And, we will also be recognizing the winning school’s delegates at the ASD annual meeting at conference for all their hard work, spreading the SCC word. Contest ends January 31, 2013.

•  Completed cards must be mailed back to AOTA, Attn: Amanda Fogle, 4720 Montgomery Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814 by February 7, 2013.

•  Online registration is also available at: www.aota.org/scc. Registration after January 31, 2013 will not be counted towards raffle. One registration per person please.

5 things you need to know about your Profession!  A word about advocacy

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•  The Affordable Care Act Supreme Court decision affirmed that health care reform efforts will continue to be implemented. Learn more about how this affects occupational therapy at http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/Advocacy/Health-Care-Reform.aspx

•  If the Congress can't avoid the mandatory budget cuts that

will occur January 1, 2013, school system therapy is likely to be negatively affected. Take action now at http://capwiz.com/aota/issues/alert/?alertid=61591971&PROCESS=Take+Action

•  Did you know that about 30% of OTs and OTAs work in

more than one type of practice setting? The most common secondary setting is skilled nursing facilities. Source: AOTA 2010 Compensation and Workforce Study

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•  Get to know who represents you in Washington DC and in your state capitol. They may have a key vote on a bill that affects occupational therapy in the future. Find your legislators at http://capwiz.com/aota/dbq/officials/ and use the link to the Issues and Legislation to send an email to your elected officials.

•  Come to Capitol Hill Day! OT practitioners and students

converge on DC September 24 for a morning briefing and afternoon meetings with elected officials. A great advocacy experience. Details at http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/Advocacy/Hill-Day-12.aspx

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What is it?  

“Boardroom to Classroom is a program through the American Occupational Therapy Association that connects AOTA’s Board of Directors to student groups to increase their knowledge about professional issues and opportunities. Discussions are one hour‐long question and answer teleconference or videoconference. They focus on one of six topics (Advocacy in Occupational Therapy, Importance of AOTA Membership, Getting More Involved in AOTA, Current Factors Affecting Occupational Therapy, Importance of Research and Evidence in the Profession, Recent Successes of AOTA for Occupational Therapy).”‐ Jaclyn Tarloff, MS, OTR/L creator program.  

So how does it work?  Members of the AOTA’s Board of Directors interact with students via teleconference or videoconference in a question‐answer format that revolve around topics of: Advocacy, Importance of AOTA Membership, Getting Involved in AOTA, Current Factors Affecting OT, Importance of Research & Evidence and Recent Successes in AOTA.  After each session, both the BOD member and students are encouraged to leave feedback and comment of the effectiveness of the session to further empower others to get involved!  

Boardroom to Classroom:!A game changing opportunity!!

 

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Student testimonials  •  “I felt much more connected to AOTA. The discussion 

made AOTA seen real, not just an organization.”  •  “I learned a lot more about what AOTA and the website 

AOTA.org has to offer to students and beyond.”  •  “I really enjoyed the lecture… It was inspiring and it 

makes me want to be more actively involvedin AOTA.”  How to set up a Boardroom to Classroom session  Contact the Assembly of Student Delegates Steering Committee: ASD@AOTA.ORG   Share this information with your Student Occupational 

Therapy Association Advisor, or Program director to take full advantage of this game changing 

opportunity! 

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http://www.aota.org/ConfandEvents/Conclave.aspx  

November 9‐10, 2012 Columbus, Ohio 

Get Ready to Kick Your Field Goals! As an occupational therapy student and soon‐to‐be new 

practitioner, you have already started setting up the field goals for your career. The 2012 AOTA/NBCOT National Student Conclave is a terrific opportunity for you to know how to score those points and 

be an OT pro! Here's why you should attend— 

•  Evidence‐based knowledge about current issues and emerging practice areas 

•  Exclusive opportunities to speak with leaders and experts •  Perfect chances to meet with job recruiters and have your 

résumé critiqued •  Important  information on the NBCOT certification exam •  Super networking with peers from your school and across the 

country See you at the 2012 Student Conclave in Columbus, Ohio, 

November 9–10! 

Exceptional Student Highlight 

Bill Wong is an incredibly hard working student from the University of Southern California.  He has accomplished more in the last 2 years than most people do in a life time.  He has also had to overcome more than most people have.  While taking the OT world by storm, he is also taking on a storm within as he  battles the many challenges that Asperger's Syndrome presents.   

Bill Wong, University of Southern California 

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I have had numerous opportunities to work with and share time with Bill and I find him to be an inspiring and unique in all the right ways type of person.  Upon informing him that he is this issue’s exceptional student, I asked him to highlight the achievements he is most proud of.  He listed the following for me.  1. Presenting on multiple occasions at OTAC conferences (the Occupational Therapy Association of California)  2. Sitting on a Family Panel at the AOTA Autism West conference  3. Being a panelist for an AOTA Pediatrics Virtual Chat  4. Serving as Student Committee chair for the Association of Asian Pacific Occupational Therapists in America  5.And currently is  aiming to be the first person on the autism spectrum in the world to have a doctorate degree of any kind in OT  Congratulations to Bill Wong for being our first exceptional student highlight!  

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