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Kamden Hutchins '21
“My classes at Bay Path were actually great, being able to really know your teacher and not be a number...”
Kamden had a few potential scenarios in mind when she began her college education at Manchester Community College, before transferring to Bay Path. She knew she liked working with children, and she knew she liked being creative, but it was her cousin’s explanation of her own role as an occupational therapist that put her on a determined path. “She explained that occupational therapy is being able to rehabilitate people and help them perform everyday functions,” she recounts. “She used the example of somebody who’s had a stroke and isn’t able to use a door knob. You basically work with them and help them relearn to open a door, and I just really liked the idea of that.”
Kamden initially thought she’d attend UConn, but was disappointed to find they didn’t offer a major in occupational therapy. Coming to Bay Path, she was concerned about the small class sizes, which would require more active participation than a giant lecture hall. “My classes at Bay Path were actually great, being able to really know your teacher and not be a number,” she explains. “You work closely together with classmates, and it’s a great atmosphere and learning environment.”
For her capstone project, Kamden was able to job shadow an occupational therapist working in the East Windsor public school system. “I’m minoring in child psychology and education, and I am about to finish up my autism spectrum disorder certificate,” she says. “I’ve learned so much about how OT can go hand-in-hand with working with children, and the grad courses that I’m taking really emphasize the connection.”
Although Covid prevented her from getting a hands-on experience, participating in sessions on Zoom allowed her to see the roles and perspectives parents bring to therapy, an opportunity she would not necessarily have working with students in-person.
With just two years remaining to complete her masters, the goal is finding a job in pediatrics, but that’s just the first goal. “I definitely want to eventually get my doctorate,” she explains. “I’m the type of person who wants to keep going.”