At a key transition point in their studies, occupational therapy students across all USAHS campuses participate in a meaningful ritual, witnessed by family and friends. The OT pinning ceremony marks the end of the classroom portion of their studies and the beginning of their fieldwork. For Residential MOT and OTD students, this happens in their fourth term, and for Flex, in the seventh term.
A longstanding tradition in OT practice, the pin celebrates the diversity of practice areas, the client-centered nature of our practice and the values of our profession.
“It’s an opportunity for faculty to acknowledge our students’ transition from classroom learning to clinical learning,” says Mary Zadnik, ScD, MEd, OTR/L, director of the entry-level OT programs on Read more
BA in Cultural Anthropology and Communication - Marquette University
MA in Communication - Marquette University Graduate School
MOT - University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
Research Interests
Sensory Integration
Pediatric Mental Health in Adolescence
Tourette’s and Tic Disorders
Areas of Expertise
PediatricsMental HealthSensory Processing and Integration
Rebekah Jarrar is an occupational therapist and educator focused on improving the lives of children and adolescents with and at risk for mental illness and their families. She began her career as an occupational therapist working for a level I trauma children’s hospital in South Florida, where she worked with kids in acute, intensive and inpatient care, many with traumatic injuries and life-threatening conditions. In 2019, wanting to interact more with children within her community, she opened a pediatric clinical practice focused on sensory integration therapy, where she supported children and their families at home, school and in the clinic. That same year, in response to an overwhelming need for mental health support for adolescents in her community, Jarrar started a community girls’ group focused on teaching coping skills for dealing with stress.
Jarrar began teaching as a contributing faculty member for the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Flex Master of Occupational Therapy program on the St. Augustine, FL campus in 2018, teaching Psychosocial interventions. She transitioned to a full-time core faculty position in 2021, teaching application-level courses in mental health and pediatrics. She is currently enrolled in the Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences with a focus on teaching in higher education.
