Doris Servan-Alvarez graduated with her master’s degree in occupational therapy from Colorado State University in Summer 2023. During her time at CSU, Servan-Alvarez served as the co-president of the student organization Diverse-OT. Servan-Alvarez is originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, with family originally from Peru. Servan-Alvarez loves to travel and try new food; she grew up going back to Peru every summer where she experienced the rich diversity of the country including its cuisine.
Servan-Alvarez earned her bachelor’s degree in Spanish with minors in sociology and psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She explored multiple careers before finding OT, switching from speech pathology to global studies and even considering law school at one point. Servan-Alvarez is currently participating in a prestigious Occupational Therapy Fellowship with JFK Partners, designated as Colorado’s University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Outside of academia, she enjoys cooking for loved ones, running, hiking, reading, playing with her nephews, and thrifting.
Describe your current position and some of the responsibilities that come with it.
I am an Occupational Therapy Fellow with JFK Partners. I work as an occupational therapist in two settings: early intervention and outpatient autism evaluation clinic, as well as completing coursework alongside other fellows from interdisciplinary professions (physician, PT, SLP, audiology, self-advocates, family advocates).
Please describe your fellowship, how you received it, and what that means for you and your career.
The fellowship consists of 20% coursework with other fellows from the interdisciplinary backgrounds and 80% caseload in two different pediatric settings. There is coursework in leadership policy and advocacy, screening and assessment of intellectual/developmental disabilities, and key concepts in ID/DD. I am also expected to complete a scholarly project of my choosing – it could be research, leadership, systems change, etc., that I will present at the end of the academic year. The caseloads are completed through the Children’s Hospital of Colorado Developmental Pediatrics Outpatient Autism Evaluation clinic and ENRICH Early Intervention Services.
I found out about the fellowship through the fieldwork office, got into contact with Melissa Argenti (M.S., occupational therapy, ’13), my OT mentor for the next year, and spoke on the phone with her about applying for next year. After learning more details about the fellowship, I was lucky enough that they were willing to work with me as my fieldwork ended later, I had travel plans after, and needed to study for my boards upon return. I applied for and received the fellowship back in July and started working in October.
This fellowship encompasses many interests of mine, including learning, policy, advocacy, working on an interdisciplinary team, and working with the pediatric population. It was the opportunity of a lifetime: continued mentorship after fieldwork, the opportunity to shadow other clinics and disciplines, working in two different pediatric settings, and learning alongside other professionals to self-advocate – all in one job! After completing coursework in May, I was struggling to figure out what my post-graduation plans were going to look like. What I hope to gain from this fellowship is a better understanding of the trajectory of my career and which setting I would like to work in. It’s the perfect steppingstone into my career after finishing fieldwork, receiving mentorship on assessments and intervention planning and gaining a better understanding of assessment results and treatment services from different disciplines.
What led you to CSU?
Initially what drew my attention about CSU-OT was a vision statement I had seen on their website related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. That was an important outlier compared to other schools I had applied to, and I felt safe coming to CSU for that reason. After reading through the curriculum, I felt the courses would best suit my learning style and interests. CSU does not follow a medical model – it is a community-based program and that is what makes it unique. Growing up in the cornfields of Nebraska, I’ve always enjoyed coming to Colorado during my breaks to adventure in the mountains! So that was a major plus in committing to CSU because I had come to visit and was familiar with the lifestyle here.
Why did you decide to pursue your current career path?
Many of my life experiences have led me to a career in OT. I grew up with a disabled parent and witnessed society’s attitudes of ableism. In contrast, I also experienced the inclusivity and was motivated by the advocacy of disabled people across several contexts. I knew I wanted to pursue a career serving others, and OT seemed to combine several of my interests and core beliefs, such as justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity. I chose a career in healthcare as a goal of mine is to address health disparities and figure out ways to mend the gaps with underrepresented populations. Growing up as a second-generation immigrant and woman of color, I have experienced prejudice, discrimination, and imposter syndrome across several contexts. I hope to create an inclusive environment for future patients so that they feel welcomed/open to share their opinions, challenges, and strengths in order to collaborate with them to provide equitable services. Every day I am constantly reminded that I chose the right field as I encounter other professionals with like-minded beliefs.
How have your education and experiences at CSU helped you in your career?
Through a Program Development class, we conducted a needs assessment for a mental health clinic in Oregon and developed a compliance program guideline for the clinic to use as a resource. This furthered my knowledge and experience in advocacy, policy, and implementing change within a system, which are crucial skills in my current practice as a health care provider and disability rights advocate.
I gained fieldwork experience through acute care (adults) at the VA hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Children’s Hospital of Colorado – outpatient clinic. Both granted me excellent mentorship in developing my clinical skills in OT in two different settings. I learn best through hands-on as well, so I valued the 12-week experiences and accepted the learning curve as part of the process! Unpopular opinion: I was a sucker for learning all about OT theory!
What advice do you have for students looking to join your field?
- Find your support system and cling onto them. Half of the reason I got through OT school is due to the mentorship and friendships I made within my program. I was lucky enough to have family support my decision to pursue a master’s degree, move out of state, and work towards my goals.
- Get involved in your community – find your passion, connect with others, work in the service of others; this is all helpful when joining the field and deciding what population or setting you’d like to work in, as well as figuring out if it’s a career you’d like to pursue.
- Be flexible – our favorite quote as a profession is, “it depends.”
- There is no “right background.” I changed my major five times before deciding on OT. I have worked in the food service industry, respite camps, non-profit organizations, international welcome team, schools, and cultural centers. All of these experiences provided me the opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds than myself as well as different needs and capabilities.
- Don’t hesitate to reach out! I can 100% guarantee any CSU-OT student, alum, or faculty would love to give you their perspective on their OT journey!
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The Department of Occupational Therapy is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
