ATSU-ASHS Occupational Therapy program student finds opportunities for growth in Mesa
Posted: February 15, 2023
Since beginning A.T. Still University-Arizona School of Health Sciences’ (ATSU-ASHS) Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program, Marqueshia Taylor, OT, ’24, has kept herself busy.
Taylor is the co-community liaison for the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD), the social media chair for the Black Student Alliance (BSA), and an ATSU-ASHS student ambassador.
There are benefits in the present. BSA is providing outreach to future Black healthcare professionals and a nurturing space to current ATSU students, while COTAD has brought guest lecturers to speak about adversity faced as an occupational therapist, as well as fun cultural meetings to teach students how different their future professional path may be.
There are also benefits for the future.
“As I continue to pursue my professional career, I only hope to be surrounded by great clinicians from all backgrounds with different values,” Taylor said. “I think having diversity in healthcare can only lead to more personalized care and well-rounded professionals for our future patients.”
Taylor is originally from Milwaukee, and holds a bachelor of science degree in health science from Tuskegee University. When searching for OT programs, ATSU’s mission made an impression and led her to ATSU-ASHS.
“ATSU places emphasis on whole person healthcare, which is something I find very important for the future of all health professions,” she said. “The atmosphere at ATSU was overall very welcoming and I appreciated how intimate the Occupational Therapy program was.”
Her experience as a student measured up to the standard set by those early interactions.
“I enjoy that there is always something to do here at ATSU,” Taylor said. “Student Life and the Diversity & Inclusion offices work hard to make our time here enjoyable, and get students to occasionally take time off of studying and enjoy little things on and off campus.”
As a student ambassador, Taylor recalls the feelings she had as a new student, the efforts to search for students with similar backgrounds or experiences in order to feel more confident about her own prospects of success.
“I realized that I cannot be the only one to feel that way,” she said. “I wanted to be someone who makes everyone feel comfortable about achieving what they may not have thought they could here at ATSU.”
As she continues toward graduation in 2024, Taylor is putting in the work to become the best possible professional occupational therapist she can be.
“ATSU has already taught us so much about inter-professional relationships, advocacy for ourselves and clients, and the compassion it takes to be an occupational therapist,” Taylor said.