RMU: Service-minded occupational therapy students make it a beautiful month in their neighborhoods
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- Alison Robison, a Doctor of Occupational Therapy student at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, shows one of the beanies she has made to donate to Huntsman Cancer Institute patients.
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- An RMU Doctor of Occupational Therapy student helps a child at an RMU clinic.
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- An RMU student works with a child at a community health fair in Provo.
The late Fred Rogers might be flattered by the endearing way Alison Robison, a doctoral student at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions, or RMU, from Lehi, describes her occupational therapy profession.
“We’re kind of the Mister Rogers of the medical world,” Robison said. “We really care about the individual.”
Following the benevolent example of the beloved children’s TV host, students in RMU’s Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program made it a more beautiful day — make that a month — in their neighborhoods by participating in a friendly competition they called a “Service Off.”
For an entire month, RMU’s OTD students were recently teamed up with other classmates in seven different groups across the nation. (The hybrid program allows students to complete most of their graduate education in their own communities with occasional onsite intensive visits to the Provo campus.)
They were tasked by their student association to complete a variety of service projects across their regions, spanning from Utah to Idaho, Colorado, New York, Nebraska, Oregon and Georgia.
Because occupational therapists tend to have service-oriented hearts and habits, this competition was in their wheelhouse.
“We’re kind of the warm-fuzzy providers,” Robison said. “Occupational therapy is all about helping people to be able to participate in meaningful activities.”
Service activities included volunteering at a community fair, supporting a special-needs church group, participating in neighborhood cleanups, assisting an adult day program, donating to and volunteering at local food drives, attending a community Make-A-Wish event, helping children in special education classrooms, leading activities at GiGi’s Playhouse, giving a hand at Utah Occupational Therapy Association events, and much more.
Collectively, the students completed 158 hours of service, with the winning team contributing 75 hours. That six-person group did service projects ranging from babysitting to volunteering at a 5K race for individuals with disabilities and taking a long walk with an older widowed adult who’s dealing with cancer.
Animals also benefited. One student notched service time by walking dogs for an animal shelter along with typing recipes to help people in need.
In other words, these RMU students — inspired by their leaders and faculty advisor, Dr. Raegan Furman — took this challenge to heart, leaving a positive impression on neighborhoods and their new friends.
The competition came at a good time for Robison. Her cohort happened to be working with pediatrics at the time and their final project required logging service hours with children with disabilities.
“People needed to do their hours anyway, but this was a fun way to do it,” she said. “We got to know other cohort members and got involved in the communities.”
She enjoyed making fleece blankets for kids who need extra TLC — whether they’re in crisis at elementary schools, hospitals or elsewhere — through the “Cover with Love” project.
Robison had an especially heartwarming time helping at a respite night with Kids on the Move, an Orem-based nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to helping children with developmental delays and disabilities reach their full potential. The inclusivity touched her.
“They dedicate an evening where people bring their special needs kids,” she explained. “It gives the families an opportunity for some self-care for about three hours while their kids get one-on-one interactions.”
Robison played tag and did races at the playground with the child she was with that evening. They had a lot of fun.
“What I like about it is that the kids can just be themselves,” she said. “Everyone is welcomed and included and just loved for who they are.”
Some of her RMU classmates joined her at the Kids on the Move event.
“It was really neat to do with some of the people in my cohort,” she said. “We didn’t know each other very well then, and so it was fun for us to just be able to interact with these really amazing kids.”
Robison had another great source for finding ways to serve — being a mom with school-aged students. She enjoyed volunteering at their school carnival, which she’d do anyway, but this came with the added perk of helping her team.
She has her own amazing kid with autism, and his journey helped inspire her to help others through occupational therapy.
“I love the aspect of family centered, client-centered service that OT provides,” she said. “It’s not like a one-therapy-fits-all. It’s really getting to know people individually and their needs and their interests.”
Though the “Service Off” has concluded, the Service On light is still illuminated for Robison and other RMU students. Her group made little fleece-stuffed hearts to give to families who lose babies at a hospital in Murray. She and her daughter also help make beanies for patients at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
“I grew up in a family that did a lot of service,” Robison said. “Where much is given, much is required. It’s a privilege and an opportunity.”
That’s one of the reasons why she’s happy to attend RMU, which encourages students and staff to love and lift others in classrooms, clinics and communities.
“Rocky Mountain University really does strive to lift communities and individuals,” she said. “It’s not about their own accolades; it’s just about involvement and participation and just showing love to everybody and being inclusive and aware. The service focus of RMU helps us remember our ‘why’ of pursuing our degrees.”
Jody Genessy is the senior content writer for Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.
