Leadership Development: Preparing Today’s Students for Occupational Therapy’s Future

Eight of our current graduate students participated in the Leadership Development Workshop, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association (POTA).  The workshop was held on Oct. 22, 2015 in Scranton, PA – the day prior to POTA’s annual conference.  Students completed a strengths finder profile and discussed strategies to enhance their leadership skills.  The workshop culminated with students being paired with a POTA board member for mentoring over the next 12 months in various leadership activities such as advocacy, conference planning, political action committees, and more.

Comments from students about what they learned:

• Leaders don’t have to be “natural born” but should identify strengths and utilize them to engage in leadership activities.
• Becoming involved with your state association doesn’t necessarily mean being an active board member or running for POTA president.  Just be a member and support the work they are doing on your behalf!