I am a Philippine woman, born and raised in the Philippines and now living in Las Vegas. I speak fluent English, Tagalog and Cebuano. I have lived in the United States since I was 18 years old. I will gain my B.S. degree in Kinesiology in May 2011. My GPA is 3.2.

 At the age of 19, I enlisted in the US Army and served for 6 years, 3 years on active service, 2 years as a reserve and served a 15 month deployment in Iraq.  I attained the rank of supply sergeant and was responsible for supervising junior military staff and for equipment of very high value.

 From the age of 16, my ambition has been to become an Occupational Therapist. As a sportswoman who plays volleyball, basketball and soccer, I have long been interested in human motion and physical activity and pursued this interest in the study for my bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology which is highly relevant to the master’s program in Occupational Therapy.

 My experience of meeting wounded and injured soldiers whilst serving in Iraq increased and re-fired my determination to become an Occupational Therapist. I see this as a way to make a direct and real difference in the lives of my fellow veterans by helping them achieve as much as possible for themselves and to get as much as possible from life. I have also acted as a hospital volunteer since leaving the Army and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience of helping staff and patients.

 I am very much aware that technical knowledge about the human body, and the equipment available to assist patients, is not all that is needed in becoming an effective Occupational Therapist. Just as important is empathy in dealing with others and an ability to assess and to take account of the patient’s individual personality, characteristics and attitude to their problems. A good therapist must be able to project an unfailingly positive attitude, to encourage and to combine personal warmth with the ability to present achievable but real challenges to clients who may be unaware of the boundaries of their physical abilities and who may be fearful and lacking in confidence.  I believe that I possess the empathy and caring attitude necessary to succeed with my future patients in helping them to achieve maximum independence. I believe that occupational therapy is less a career choice than a vocation for me and I am passionate in my wish to pursue this vocation.

 If successful in joining a Master’s Occupational Therapy program, I would be particularly interested in undertaking research into the areas of appendicular injuries, specifically with upper extremity. It is my ultimate goal to become a certified hand therapist.

 I am aware that there will be very many well qualified applicants for the MS OT programs. However believe that I possess all the necessary personal qualities combined with a genuine passion for the subject to enable me to excel in the program, to contribute meaningfully to my class and ultimately to become a highly successful therapist.

 Thank you for considering my application.