CHCS - Perspectives Winter/Spring 2016

COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCES • 33 students’ entry into their doctoral transformation. It is recognized by the program as an additional step of the doctoral transformation and the students’ preparedness for the next step of their journey of practice beyond that of an entry-level occupational therapist. The third rite of passage is the Legacy Project. With the support of Ricardo Carrasco, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, and Whaley, the class of 2015 initiated the Legacy Project, which is a product of the specialized courses offered in the students’ third year that integrates occupational science and wellness. The students created a professional organization called Community and Health Advocacy through Occupational Studies (CHAOS), which aims to inspire, promote, and contribute to the study of human beings as occupation beings within the global community. As part of the students’ mission to create a global community, they also developed a new journal, OCCU- PATION: A Medium of Inquiry for Students, Faculty, and Other Practitioners Advocating for Health Through Occupational Studies . The journal will serve as a plat- form for contributors from around the world, including current students, recent graduates, occupational therapy practitioners, and professionals from a variety of disciplines. The development of the Legacy Project can be seen as the responsibility of the students to contribute to occupational therapy through research. The fourth rite of passage is commencement, which marks the completion of the students’ final didactic and entry-level clinical compo- nents. During the gradua- tion ceremonies, students had the opportunity to attend an awards banquet, where several students received awards for their academic achievements, as well as their contributions toward the profession. Following the graduation ceremonies, students will return to their final Doctoral Experiential Component (doctoral residency), in which they will spend four months with a mentor learning about one of the eight identified practice pillars—clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory development. It is through this step that the journey takes the students toward their personal vision of their future practice area. The fifth and final step of the students’ transformation to becoming occupational therapists is the Annual Research Colloquium, which provides an opportunity for students to disseminate the findings from their culminating research projects to faculty members, clinicians, and the community. It is at this moment that all academic requirements are completed and students can take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy qualifying exam. Through each step of the journey, students have had the opportunity to create a community and accept responsibility toward becoming occupational therapy practitioners and contributors to the profession. ■ From left: Stephanie M. Sylvia, Ricardo A. Demetrius, and Larry B. Holmes