Jessica H., an adjunct instructor in the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program at American Career College, has come full circle from her days as a student to now shaping the future of upcoming therapy assistants.
Jessica graduated in 2018 from ACC-Orange County and immediately embarked on her professional career as an occupational therapy assistant at the skilled nursing facility (SNF) where she had completed her clinicals.
“I just got attached to the patients,” she said. “My co-workers are really cool, and the nursing and rehab team really work well together. It feels like home.”
Initially aspiring to specialize in pediatrics, Jessica’s career trajectory shifted during her clinical rotations.
“My second rotation was a skilled nursing facility and I just fell in love,” she said. “Once I graduated, I tried it again, and I could see myself fitting there more than I did in pediatrics.”
Inspired by her father, who was a nurse, Jessica was drawn to healthcare but sought a path outside nursing. Frequent visits to her dad’s workplace exposed her to occupational therapy, which fit well with her personality.
“I knew I had no nursing blood inside of me; I was totally against it. I know I wouldn’t be a good nurse, but my dad would always take me to his facility after school, and I would always hang out with a therapist. It was just something that fit well with my personality.”
Transitioning to teaching has been a significant shift for Jessica.
“In the field, you don’t really think about all the things that you’re supposed to be teaching. For example, you learn all these muscle groups, and you learn anatomy, and then when you go into the field, especially with skilled nursing facilities, those aren’t things that clients really ask you,” Jessica said. “It’s a refresher for me when I come back here to teach the students.”
Reflecting on her educational path, Jessica wishes she had known about the extensive hands-on activities and simulation labs integral to the OTA program.
“I wish I had known that we would do a lot of hands-on things. When you think ‘school,’ you just think sitting in a class lecture,” she said. “There are outside events that we can go to get more hands-on experience, so I wish I had known that we would do a lot of simulation labs and other stuff.
Jessica values the program’s role in shaping her career and now relishes the opportunity to give back as an instructor.
“It shaped who I am today, and it shaped my career,” she said, “and now I’m here giving back.”
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