Oct. 3, 2025 Sometimes life throws a curve ball. Jake Cabrera, a recent graduate of the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program at Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC), knows this in a very personal way.  From the Marines to a New Mission Cabrera grew up in rural Michigan as part of a large family.  “I didn’t really like school,” Cabrera said. “I watched my parents work factory jobs and provide for us, so I didn’t think I really needed to do well in school. I didn’t try really hard at the book stuff. I was more into the physical stuff like sports, so I wanted to join the military.”  He enlisted in the Marine Corps. “The military changed my whole view of everything,” Cabrera said. “The way I thought, the way I presented myself, all of it.” Cabrera served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan.  “I saw a lot of combat,” he said, reflecting on his time in the Infantry. “It felt like there was a lot of destruction around me. I decided I wanted to focus on repairing things instead. Some of my marine buddies got hurt and then needed therapy. Watching them opened my eyes to how physical therapy can help people rebuild.” Discovering Occupational Therapy With military benefits covering his tuition, Cabrera began studying physical therapy at Grand Valley State University. During his clinical hours, however, a twist of fate changed his career path.  “I was scheduled to shadow a physical therapist during in-person field hours, but instead spent the day with an occupational therapist,” he said. Cabrera quickly fell in love with occupational therapy.  Still, he was far along in the physical therapy program and completed his bachelor’s degree. He applied to graduate school, but wasn’t accepted.  Instead, he pivoted to the machine industry.  “I built machines for 10 years,” Cabrera said. “The job gave me a really good work ethic and skill set. I gained a machine and mechanical engineer mindset that really set the stage for me as an occupational therapist. I’m able to break things down and find new ways for my patients to improve their mobility so they can take care of themselves.” Breaking Down Barriers   Over the years, Cabrera began to feel the physical toll of the work.  “I got an email saying that some of my credits from when I got my bachelor’s degree were set to expire,” Cabrera said. “Immediately, I thought, what am I going to do? I worked really hard to get these credits, I’m not just going to let it go to waste.”  He discovered GRCC’s OTA program.  “I contacted GRCC, it was close to me and I heard a lot of great things about their program,” Cabrera said. “I took a leap of faith, quit my job, made a plan to stay home as much as possible to conserve my finances, and went for it. Best decision I’ve made!” The OTA program at GRCC changed Cabrera’s life.  “A patient could be feeling cruddy all day,” Cabrera said. “When I come in as their OTA, and say, ‘Hey, let’s get out of bed and get cleaned up,’ it’s those simple tasks that help my patients feel so much better. It just makes me happy. I think, ‘That’s cool, let’s go help people.’”  Prepared to Succeed Students who pass their licensing exams often secure jobs immediately after graduation. Cabrera was one of them.  “Because of how thorough the faculty is and how invested they are in understanding each of our learning styles, I had a job waiting for me on the last day of classes,” he said. “My job as a certified occupational therapy assistant feels so easy because of how well prepared we are. I knew exactly what to do when I started working with a patient whose vision was impaired. During class, we tried on different glasses impairing our vision so we could better understand our patients. I feel like the faculty covered everything during the program so we know how to handle most circumstances in real time.”  Cabrera now plans to pursue a doctorate in occupational therapy.  “After all I’ve accomplished, I feel like getting a doctorate is in reach now,” he said.  A Story to Share  Cabrera’s journey also inspired him to pursue creative outlets. He is working on a children’s book about a core childhood memory and started a wood working company called Arooni, focused on creating quality items that bring joy.  “I found a starting point with the occupational therapy program,” Cabrera said. “I believe it will never happen unless you start. So, I think you should always try and do everything in small chunks and soon enough it will be done.” Learn more about the OTA program at GRCC   This story was reported by Anjula Caldwell.