Alumni Stories

Working with Children

Interview excerpts fromMelissa Callaghan, OT Class of ‘02

Melissa works at the Learning Center for Deaf Children, a private school located in Framingham, Massachusetts. Though she works with students in preschool through high school, the majority of her caseload is in the preschool and elementary settings. All of the students at the school have hearing impairments and those with whom Melissa works have additional needs in the areas of fine motor development, handwriting, sensory integration and feeding.

As an occupational therapist Melissa works with other health and educational   professionals including classroom teachers and aides. She provides consultation and in-services to teaching staff about sensory integration, fine motor skill development, and handwriting. As a result of Melissa’s advocacy, a new handwriting program was successfully implemented to support students’ progress in school.

According to Melissa, the field of occupational therapy is open and versatile. “I love what I do and the possibility to take OT in many different directions.” Melissa reports a desire to gain information and keep learning by going to conferences and meetings with other therapists. “Sage gave me the confidence to do what I’m doing. Not only did I gain skills, but also the educational experiences helped me to grow as a person and to be the leader, advocate and therapist I am today.”

Helping People with Cancer to Live each Day to the Fullest

Interview excerpts from Mackenzi (Sneddon) Pergolotti, OT Class of ‘02

Mackenzi is a senior OT at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Upper East Side Manhattan, NY. She works with oncology patients of all ages and in all stages of their diagnosis of cancer. Sometimes she works with people who are dealing with end-of-life issues and other times to develop strategies to improve their quality of life. Her OT interventions take place in people’s rooms at bedside, in the therapy gym, and in the outpatient pediatric hospital.

Like many occupational therapists, Mackenzi works with a team of professionals including physical therapists, nurses, social workers, music and art therapists. At the cancer center she also works with massage therapists and yoga instructors. Many of her patients are recovering from surgery or undergoing chemotherapy. The health care team generally provides therapy to support individuals physically or emotionally during their cancer treatment process. Her role as an OT is to assist her patients to gain independence in the daily activities that are important to them such as dressing and bathing, or cooking and laundry. She teaches them how to manage their routines through energy conservation techniques, cognitive strategies, and strengthening activities, all with the goal toward improving quality of life.

Mackenzi developed and implemented the formal pediatric program in the rehabilitation department. She is also involved in research on occupational therapy with bone marrow transplant patients. Her other work-related activities involve writing a textbook, providing educational sessions to hospital colleagues, and giving lectures to students at colleges.

“Each day I learn something new from my patients and colleagues. I love the field of occupational therapy. It is an amazing and holistic way to approach people that need help. I love the fact that every day I get to meet and help someone make positive changes. I love that through my creative interventions I am able to decrease people’s suffering. At Sage I received a great background and a well-rounded education in multiple OT practice areas.”

Working with Adults in Outpatient Rehabilitation Settings

Interview excerpts from Kristie Horner, OT Class of ‘99

Kristie works at an outpatient rehabilitation facility in Colchester, Vermont. This interdisciplinary site includes occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language therapy, as well as medical psychology. She works with young to older adults who are living with neurological conditions; for example people who have had strokes, traumatic brain injury, or Parkinson’s disease.

Kristie participates in leadership and management opportunities at her facility. She serves on an interdisciplinary staff-led committee on traumatic brain injury. She has also delivered presentations at AOTA conferences and teaches one class a year at a nearby college.

“I love OT. One thing to remember is that every patient is different. It is our job to listen to their stories and work toward OT goals that are meaningful to the patient. No matter how long you’ve been practicing, there’s always more to learn.”

Kristie shared her thoughts about a recent therapy session with a woman recovering from a stroke. On the first day of therapy Kristie noticed her patient struggling to use her hand. As part of the occupational therapy treatment session Kristie provided a sewing activity. While the sewn patch wasn’t perfect the patient “was tickled pink” with her product. The reintroduction of a valued activity had enabled the woman to increase the use of her affected hand, something she hadn’t yet achieved since the onset of her stroke.

“The OT professors at Sage are passionate about what they do. The education I received was holistic, as is the field of OT. The knowledge, humor, and down to earth approach of the professors was inspiring to me. Such a background made me want to approach my job with passion so that I, too, could inspire people.”