Jennie DiGrado – OTD, OTR/L, C/NDT – OT Faculty Profiles, USAHS
Jennie DiGrado, OTD, OTR/L, C/NDT, teaches occupational therapy at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) campus in San Marcos, California. Jennie defines OT as the profession that focuses on what matters most to each individual, and its practice centers on clients who have had a stroke or other neurological impairment, backed by additional credentials in that area.
Alongside neurology, Jennie is drawn to how environments affect the people living in them. The most emotional part of teaching is watching students fall in love with the profession. Occupation can be hard to explain, so the moment a student grasps its power, and their own power as a future OT, is one Jennie calls magical.
Transcript
Jennie DiGrado – OTD, OTR_L, C_NDT – OT Faculty Profiles, USAHS
[00:00:00] Jennie DiGrado (OT Faculty): Occupational therapy is the profession that looks at what’s most important and meaningful to an individual. My biggest concern is what is most important to this individual that has come across my path? How can I help you connect to those things that are most meaningful to you? [00:00:18] I do have a strong passion for working with clients who’ve had a stroke or a neurological impairment of any sort. I really love the brain and how the brain functions. I have a, a passion for that, and I have done extra credentialing, extra skillsets to work with clients who’ve had a stroke. I would say that’s probably one of my largest passion areas. But I also really, really have a passion for looking at the environment and how the environment impacts individuals. [00:00:52] Watching students grow and learn with their passion for OT, honestly it is so amazing. I get a little emotional. It’s, it’s so amazing to watch students learn to love something that I love so much and I have so much heart for, and then be able to take that forward out into the community out to their future clients. Because occupation sometimes is a little hard to understand. Sometimes it’s a little difficult to understand what we do as occupational therapists. And so once a student gets that, and once they have that aha moment, and they realize the power of occupation and the power that they possess as being an occupational therapist and being able to take that forward to their communities, to their future clients, it’s it’s really a magical moment
Enrollment Services – The Journey to Clinical Excellence, USAHS Occupational Therapy Programs
Students and staff discuss the enrollment process and student services.
Center for Innovative Clinical Practice (CICP)—University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
Students and faculty discuss learning in state-of-the-art simulation facilities.
Testimonial – Kaylee Saenz, Post-Professional OT Student
Hear from a student in the USAHS PPOTD program.