Putting My Occupational Therapy Knowledge into Practice with Rebuilding Together

The Rebuilding Together fellowship I completed through Howard University provided me with so many skills that are transferable to my future career. I led meetings, presented to my peers and worked with interdisciplinary teams. There are four Howard University occupational therapy students, including myself, completing fellowships with Rebuilding Together affiliates. Each week, the fellows met as a team and we each had different roles as presenters, researchers or note takers. The fellowship required additional tasks and assignments in addition to my program. It was an engaging challenge to manage my time and assignments effectively. The expectations of the fellowship were well beyond what was normally expected of a doctorate student, but it was exactly what made the experience so valuable for my professional development.

What made the experience even more exciting, is that I was able to gain valuable hands-on experiences during my visit with Rebuilding Together Minnesota. I was able to attend home assessments and put into practice some of what I have learned while in my occupational therapy program. 

Lastly, I was able to build a professional network of amazing individuals from Rebuilding Together with invaluable knowledge, experience and mentorship. I am so grateful for this opportunity to be a fellow with Rebuilding Together and hoping that the knowledge my affiliate and I shared with each other has a lasting effect on bettering the community through health and housing.

Rebuilding Together's Howard University Fellowship program was made possible through a Rural Capacity Building grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). We are thankful for HUD's commitment to affordable housing and community development activities in rural areas.