2016 was a whirlwind for me.

Rang in the 2016 New Year with my family in Epcot along with everyone else in the world, the park was filled to max capacity!

Wrote my first blog post out of frustration, necessity, and determination to advocate for DO and OT after one too many individuals questioned whether osteopathic physicians are “real doctors” and since half of my friends were convinced that I was just going to occupational therapy graduate school in order to help people find jobs. Here is my first blog post ever inspired by my fiance and his classmates on their way to becoming osteopathic physcians.    If you are interested in OT or have no idea what it is, click here.

 

Finished an exhausting but exciting last semester of OT school in the classroom. Praise to be to God- no more research although I loved my group.

Watched my little brother graduate from high school across the same stage I walked across years prior,

Completed a long, mentally taxing, but rewarding 12 weeks at an outpatient pediatric clinic for my first Level 2 OT fieldwork. Learned a lot about myself, found a new appreciation for parents of special needs kids, and increased my tolerance on caffeine. Curious to what OP peds is like through an OT lens, click here.

Became engaged to my college sweetheart who thoughtfully proposed to me in the most meaningful way -also he picked the loveliest antique ring out himself- we only went ring shopping once and that was a year and a half prior to the date we got engaged!- Who knew that the then 18-year-old boy in my freshman bio class would not only be my biology tutor, but also my husband! Click here to read “Our Story”.

asked six beautiful friends to be my bridesmaids,

mini vacation to Orlando with my parents and my uncle and aunt from Northern Ireland and their two princesses -saw Disney world through the lens of a captivated 3-year-old, priceless-

spent three months in Auburn and was convinced to move there because of my person, the people of Auburn, my experience at my 12 week second Level 2 fieldwork in an inpatient rehab/SNF setting, and the city itself, went out of my comfort zone to give a 45 min presentation to Auburn University’s Pre-OT/PT club eek, joined a weekly bible study with 20+ kindhearted girls, Click to read about my experience in an inpatient rehab setting.

adopted a grumpy 3-year-old cat whom at the time James and I didn’t know he was a Scottish Fold Hemingway cat (folded ears, and has six toes!!)

survived and thrived at my first Seidel/Coley Thanksgiving -James has a really large, but really loving family,

accepted my first real OT job offer in an acute inpatient rehab hospital  where I get the pleasure to work in a unit that is newly renovated, provides me with mentorship, and is staffed by a number of awesome physicians, physical therapists and assistants, occupational therapists and assistants, speech therapists, social workers, nurses, and care assistants,

 

presented my final case poster and graduated with my Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy with my Class of 2016 -2 and a 1/2 years of continuous grad school, check,

hosted James for his first Weyer/Cyr Christmas,

a month of relaxing, hanging out with my family, somewhat studying for my national  OT boards exam (please help me God),  reconnecting with high school friends that I hadn’t seen in quite awhile, wedding planning, and running down the beaches of the MS Gulf Coast.

2016 was awesome, but I am ready for 2017 and to begin my career as an occupational therapist and marry my fiancé!! I am not one to make crazy resolutions but I do have a few things I anticipate doing this new year.

2017 aspirations…

• Be more confident in myself and say “no” more often.

• Call my grandparents once a week and tell them about my day.

• Learn to enjoy running again without feeling the pressure to run the times when I was running collegiately.

• Sign up and complete a half marathon.

• Pass my National OT boards exam. This one is a have to.. so not really an aspiration.

• Seek mentorship and be my personal best entry level therapist without forgetting that it is okay to ask for help.

• Be a mentor to undergraduate students who are interested in OT.

• Be more patient with myself and others.

• Be present, instead of worrying about the next step on my to do list.

• Eat more whole foods. Including choosing specialty coffee drinks without syrups. sigh.

• Write and submit an article for the OT practice magazine.

Cheers to 2017!!

I’d love to hear your goals for 2017! Comment below!

With love,

SHANNEN M.