If there were one word to describe occupational therapy master’s student Tricia Grady it would be: dedication.
Grady was born in Massachusetts and started her journey in higher education in Troy, New York, at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She received her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and biophysics, but wanted to find a career where she could utilize her research for something meaningful. “I wanted to find a career where I could integrate my love for research and science with my passion for helping other people,” she said.
After a lot of searching she discovered the field of occupational therapy. “It fit the bill perfectly,” she said. “I came to CSU to study OT from a strong community of scholars who are committed to research and best-practice in our discipline.”
She was excited to pursue this new passion and knew that she wanted to be involved in research while here at CSU. She signed up to complete an optional research thesis with Anita Bundy, head of the Department of Occupational Therapy. The experience, as Grady described it, “was excellent but incredibly difficult. Transitioning from laboratory-based research to human-based research challenged me to think differently, ask new questions, and be okay with fuzzy, incomplete answers.”
A new perspective
In addition to her work with Bundy, she spent a lot of time learning about patient rehabilitation and reintegration into daily life after an injury or illness. These lessons really hit close to home when her grandmother came to visit during her fourth semester at CSU and broke her back in a bad fall.
“When you learn about it in the classroom, it seems so far away,” she said. “All of a sudden, I was on the other side of the table- instead of the therapist giving the advice, I was the terrified family member trying to keep it all straight.”
Her grandmother was hospitalized in Colorado and then moved to a rehabilitation facility with Grady by her side through all of it. “I would go to classes in the morning and then drive over to the rehab center and spend my afternoons trying to navigate the complex healthcare system, be an advocate for my grandmother, and get my schoolwork done.”
During this trying time Grady needed all the support she could get, and her classmates and professors at CSU made sure she had everything she needed. “At least once a day, and often more, someone would ask me how my grandmother was doing,” she said. “Everyone rallied around me, making sure that I wasn’t stretching myself too thin and that all my needs were met too.”
One thing that gave her some comfort was discovering that her grandmother’s occupational therapist was a CSU graduate herself. “Even when I couldn’t be there, I knew she was in good hands,” she said. Her grandmother, now 90 years old, has made a full recovery and permanently moved to Colorado.
Dedication despite difficulties
Despite these challenges, Grady has remained as dedicated to her studies as possible. As she worked to perfect her thesis she felt like giving up at times. It was her loved ones, classmates and the supportive faculty at CSU who encouraged her to keep working hard. “I was thrilled to defend my thesis in May,” she said.
In addition to the tremendous amount of work she put in to her family and her thesis, Grady was a member of the Student Occupational Therapy Association and the Pi Theta Epsilon Honor Society. “Both organizations allowed me to forge a strong professional identity, develop leadership skills, and cultivate excellence within occupational therapy.” Through the department she was selected to be part of a culture and knowledge exchange with CSU’s sister occupational therapy program in Yamagata, Japan, which allowed for the sharing of research and customs.
Not only has Grady been a dedicated master’s student while at CSU and an advocate for the OT department, but she has also volunteered in the community. In her first year living in Colorado, she volunteered at Children’s Hospital of Colorado, rocking babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She has also worked with Minds Matter, an organization providing mentorship to first-generation high school students who are applying for college.
Even today Grady remains an active volunteer. “Now, I am grateful to volunteer at Harmony House, an organization in Fort Collins that provides a comfortable, homelike space for families who need a place for supervised visitations,” she said.
Grady is staying at CSU to complete her Ph.D. in occupation and rehabilitation science in the Department of Occupational Therapy. “I look forward to continuing to conduct research in the field of children’s play,” she said. No matter what new challenges may arise or what hardships may come, it’s clear that Grady’s determination and commitment to others will lead her to success.
The Department of Occupational Therapy is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.