Maya Major has hoped to become an occupational therapist for years. It杏吧专区檚 just been about finding the right path to make that dream a reality.
After earning an associate degree in general science in 2022, she set out to find a bachelor杏吧专区檚 program that fit her demanding schedule as a behavioral technician for a rehab center in New Orleans.
杏吧专区淚 was looking for a flexible program that was in line with my career goal,杏吧专区 says Major.
That search led her to the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 online Health Promotion & Wellness program.
杏吧专区淯L Lafayette had a kinesiology program that was online and accepted all my credits. That was a huge plus 杏吧专区 I didn杏吧专区檛 have to start from scratch.杏吧专区
Now, Major completed the program ahead of schedule and closer than ever to making her occupational therapy dreams a reality.
Laying the Foundation for Occupational Therapy
For Major, navigating a program with accelerated eight-week classes was a collaborative effort with supportive faculty who made the journey feel more like a partnership than a challenge.
杏吧专区淚 love my advisor, Lisa LeBlanc. She杏吧专区檚 like my school parent even though we杏吧专区檝e only communicated online,杏吧专区 says Major.
That strong support system was vital as Major pushed herself to finish the program in just a year and a half.
杏吧专区淚 was trying to get into the OT program in January, and Ms. LeBlanc reached out and said, 杏吧专区榃ell, OK, I'll do a couple of one-on-one classes with you so you can hurry up and get through the program.杏吧专区櫺影勺ㄇ鴿
As her program accelerated, so did the demands on her time. Juggling 18-hour course loads required careful planning.
杏吧专区淭he classes being online made it very flexible and allowed me to fit it in around my work schedule, but you do need to learn time management,杏吧专区 she says.
There were days when timing didn杏吧专区檛 go according to plan, but the flexibility of the program allowed her to maintain control over her academic path.
杏吧专区淪ometimes I had a test scheduled during a shift, or I couldn杏吧专区檛 make it back home in time, but the professors always worked with me,杏吧专区 Major recalls. 杏吧专区淭hey allowed me to take tests at a time that worked for me.杏吧专区
The time management, adaptability, and close student-faculty relationships have laid a solid foundation for what杏吧专区檚 to come.
Charting the Path Forward
Major杏吧专区檚 time in the Health Promotion & Wellness program has given her the tools to not only advance in her current role but also to pave the way for her future career.
She杏吧专区檚 already been able to put the skills she杏吧专区檚 gained into practice at work.
杏吧专区淚 work with children who have autism, and because the health promotion and wellness program is so interactive, I杏吧专区檓 able to apply some of those communication skills I learned from the program to my interactions with the children and with my team,杏吧专区 she says.
With a freshly earned B.S. in Kinesiology, Health Promotion and Wellness, Major is already charting her path forward. She杏吧专区檚 been accepted into an OT program in Dallas, where she杏吧专区檒l begin classes this January.
杏吧专区淢y long-term goal is to, of course, complete grad school and become an occupational therapist,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淭hen, I want to open my own clinic. I杏吧专区檇 like to start off with pediatrics, but then I杏吧专区檇 like to gear my practice towards adults and geriatric also.杏吧专区
As someone who has successfully balanced the demands of online learning, work, and life, Major offers this advice to students navigating their own paths:
杏吧专区淎s an online student, we杏吧专区檙e also juggling personal things and it杏吧专区檚 a little more difficult to stay disciplined. So, it杏吧专区檚 important that you develop some time management skills to stay focused and balanced so that you can be successful.杏吧专区
Ready to take the next step in your career? Discover how UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 online Health Promotion & Wellness program can help you reach your goals.
