At Clarkson University, we encourage students with vision to make them a reality. For Occupational Therapy (OT) student, Jenna White, class of ’22, the vision was to do a clinical rotation in Uganda. She volunteered in Uganda as an undergraduate and fell in love with the country and its people.
For Jenna’s graduate capstone project in our Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program, Jenna drew from past experiences to create the first International Level II Fieldwork Experience for future OT students at Clarkson through a partnership with Imprint Hope, an organization in Jinja, Uganda.
Imprint Hope provides OT as well as other medical resources to children with disabilities. They break cultural stigmas surrounding disability, provide parental and community education, and promote independence in the lives of children with disabilities. The organization provides a seven-week onsite program in which children with disabilities receive OT, physical therapy, proper nutrition, and medical support. During the stay, Imprint Hope staff provide parents and caregivers with education about their child’s condition, causes of disability, proper hygiene, the child’s rights, and parenting techniques to best meet the child’s needs. Jenna’s capstone project was to set up a field work contract with Imprint Hope to allow future OT students at Clarkson University the opportunity to complete one of their Level II placements in Jinja, Uganda.
Unfortunately due to COVID-19 border restrictions at the time, Jenna was unable to do the placement herself, however, she expressed that “The experience I gained from my time in Uganda was invaluable and it has been so fulfilling to see two worlds I am passionate about (Uganda and OT/working with children with disabilities) merge together! I am excited to see future students of the Clarkson University occupational therapy program complete their fieldwork at Imprint Hope and hope to one day have the opportunity to visit Imprint Hope myself on one of my future trips visiting Gulu.”
Interested in the field of occupational therapy? Curious about this international fieldwork opportunity? Request more information or apply today! And remember, Clarkson’s Graduate Admissions team is here to help. For a full list of graduate programs, visit here. Contact us by emailing graduate@clarkson.edu, calling 518-631-9831, or emailing our graduate recruiter, Lynn Pauly, at lpauly@clarkson.edu.