Catie Lingelbach MA ’19
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Program: Entry-Level Master’s, Class of 2019
What brought you to occupational therapy?
After interning at an early intervention clinic for children with various types of delays while I was an undergraduate student, I realized that this profession felt like home.
What area of practice am I interested in?
I am currently most interested in working in inpatient acute or inpatient rehab settings with adults with neurological conditions. After doing my first level 2 fieldwork at an inpatient rehab facility with people who had acquired spinal cord injuries, I felt driven to work with and learn from this population.
Describe your background before coming to occupational therapy.
Before I decided to pursue a career in occupational therapy, I was studying psychology in undergraduate schooling. I was convinced that I wanted to pursue a career in forensic psychology. But, once I did a forensic science internship after graduation from my undergraduate college, I realized it was not the field for me. I quickly left that internship and got a job working at a traumatic brain injury day program as an one-on-one aide back in my hometown of Washington, D.C. A lot of what I was doing was related to occupational therapy and I was hooked. I applied to graduate programs in occupational therapy and thankfully got into USC!
If your childhood had a smell, what would it be?
I would definitely say it would be the smell of sidewalks after a summer thunderstorm. D.C. has hot summers with regular thunderstorms that leave the outdoors smelling like the hot cement after a heavy rain.
What are small things that make your day better?
I love candles and essential oil diffusers, basically calming smells. Also, if I’m feeling stressed, I know a good blasting of a song in the car can cheer me up.
⋯
Subscribe | RSS