Assembly of Student Delegates Fall Tri-Annual Meeting

Mya Tschopp OTS, ASD Communications Representative 12/01/2024

Student Occupational Therapy and Occupational Therapy Assistant programs across the country elect an Assembly of Student Delegates (ASD) member from their Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA). These delegates meet tri-annually via Zoom and once a year in person at the AOTA INSPIRE Conference and Expo to discuss different OT-related topics. The first Tri-Annual meeting of the 2024–2025 school year occurred in October, where about 80 students attended.

At the start of the meeting, the ASD Steering Committee OT Chairperson, Amanda Hansford, introduced the steering committee and described how we can be a resource for other student delegates and SOTA programs as a connection to AOTA information. She mentioned AOTA resources such as CommunOT, Special Interest Sections (SISs), Community of Practice groups, the OT Student Pulse, and the ASD Instagram account. Along with this, there were a series of icebreaker questions about the program degree (OTD, MSOT, or OTA), how far along attendees were, setting interests within occupational therapy, and thoughts about how AOTA can help students. When discussing AOTA resources, it was mentioned that AOTA has podcasts, newsletters, and social media pages, with the OT Student Pulse Pet of the Month being a fan favorite.

AOTA President Alyson Stover MOT, JD, OTR/L, BCP, spoke to the ASD delegates about how important the student body is to the Association: we make up more than 50% of AOTA memberships. She shared stories about her clinical practices and challenging your confidence. During her presentation, she emphasized three key points:

Participation in AOTA is vital to defining our profession and our future practice.
AOTA provides clinically beneficial resources in addition to various communities for all members at any stage of their practice.
Student volunteer leadership positions are an easy way to become involved with AOTA and are available to apply for throughout the first 3 years of clinical practice.

Following the presentation, \we were divided into break-out rooms to further discuss what brought us into the field, our programs, and our interests. We then rejoined the main discussion to exchange the main points of each breakout room and to conclude the meeting. Each group had a variety of locations from which they were tuning in. Many students found this profession through a personal experience, such as a friend or family member receiving occupational therapy after a diagnosis or injury, or even practicing as an occupational therapy practitioner. Others found occupational therapy through volunteering or looking for a career change. Students also discussed the support and resources from AOTA and common trends in what students want to learn. Many students mentioned they are interested in learning more about how AOTA advocates for the profession and how AOTA supports our professional advancement, diversity, and representation.

Students shared their favorite parts about their programs and discussed the different volunteer and fieldwork opportunities that they have experienced. Many shared that they were unsure of themselves during their fieldwork placements, but came to enjoy their experience by learning and trying new things. Notably, everyone reported enjoying their interdisciplinary activities, meeting new people, and learning from professors with diverse backgrounds. The ASD representatives were passionate about involvement, the shared responsibilities for leadership roles in the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD), and mental health awareness. Overall, the Fall Tri-Annual meeting provided students with an abundance of information and motivational advice, along with ideas that they can incorporate into their SOTAs.

If you are interested in getting more information about ASDSC or are interested in getting involved, please email asd@aota.org and follow us on Instagram @asdaota. Also, keep a lookout on the AOTA website for information about nominations.

Mya-Ann Tschopp, OTS, is an OTD student at New York Institute of Technology. She is an ASD Steering Committee member and a member of the OT Student Pulse team. She has OT areas of interests in neurology and physical rehabilitation.