Six of our dedicated Research Assistants graduated from the University of Utah earlier this month. Their many hours of work was crucial to moving our research forward.
Meghan Berry graduated with a Master of Occupational Therapy degree. She was a Research Assistant for 4 years. As part of the team, Meghan reports learning about the dedication, hard work, and planning it takes to make a research project come to life. She learned that research is a team effort and involves many man-hours to publish the articles and findings that are important for evidence-based practice. A memorable experience for Meghan was traveling to Atlanta, Georgia, with Dr. Terrill to present her project at the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine international conference. Meghan has accepted a position as a traveling occupational therapist that she will begin this August. She is excited to bring the knowledge and experiences she had working as an RA to her future career endeavors. Artemis Sefandonakis earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in kinesiology and minor in psychology. She was a Research Assistant for 2 years. Doing weekly check-ins with participants was a memorable part of her RA experience. Artemis got to know one of the couples well and loved it when they sent her a cute photo of them from their vacation one week. It showed them savoring their trip despite illnesses and bad weather. It was inspiring and uplifting to Artemis to see the impact our study was having on them, and it showed her that there is always a positive in every situation. As an RA, Artemis learned how important mental health is to people’s well-being and the influence a person’s mood can have on their partner’s mood. She came to learn how much she loves working in research and with stroke survivors, and she hopes to continue working with them in her future career as an occupational therapist. Artemis will be attending the University of Illinois in Chicago this fall to earn a doctorate in occupational therapy. Gareth Loosle graduated with a Master of Occupational Therapy degree. He was a Research Assistant for 2 years. Gareth is moving to Kalispell, Montana, where he will work with both neurological and hand rehabilitation in an outpatient clinic. He will also be developing a concussion protocol for the clinic. Other RAs who graduated with their Master of Occupational Therapy degree are Kellen Lewis, Sarah Nichelle Card, and Jenna Euteneier. We thank all of our graduated RAs for their dedication and hard work and we wish you the best in your future endeavors.
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Each spring, the Utah Valley Stroke Association hosts their Strides for Stroke event. This year, a group of our Research Assistants participated in the 5K run. We enjoyed meeting stroke survivors and their families and supporting the mission of UVSA to improve the quality of life and care for stroke survivors in Utah Valley.
After the race, one stroke survivor spoke about the event. He said he likes participating because he gets to meet other people. Another participant attended the event with her husband and son, who are both stroke survivors. She likes the event because it breaks up their routine and gives them an opportunity to talk to other survivors and families. She was proud to support her husband and son in the Stroke Survivor Victory Walk and said, “You may do it differently, but you can still do it.” For Tyler Huish, the Chair of UVSA, events like this are about people meeting their peers, creating relationships, and getting support. He would love to see more people who are impacted by stroke in Utah Valley gain awareness of the opportunities to increase quality of life after stroke. The Utah Valley Stroke Association provides education, resources, and community reintegration for everyone impacted by stroke. They host three other annual events: Strike Out Stroke (bowling), Movie and a Meal, and a summer Pool Party. If you are interested in learning more about their events you can do so through their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UtahValleyStrokeAssociation/. Thank you UVSA for a great day and we will see you again at Strides for Stroke next year! |
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