March 28, 2025 Occupational therapists need tangible knowledge in order to do their work. But the best ones also possess the intangible quality of empathy. September Foisy has this in spades. “September is graduating from the Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program with significant skills that will help her be successful,” said Robin Pegg, Assistant Professor/Academic Fieldwork Coordinator for the program. “September has a seemingly endless ability to feel with or for people. She has an inherent vein of kindness.” That degree of empathy is hard to teach. However, the second significant skill that will contribute to September’s success is her growth mindset. That is something both she and her professors agree she has developed during her time at GRCC. “When September first started our program, she was very focused on getting all the points on each assignment,” Pegg said. “I told her that if she focused on the learning, the points would take care of themselves. Of her own volition, September read “ Mindset: The New Psychology of Success ” by Carol Dweck. She sent us faculty members an email afterwards, sharing her self-reflection and saying it transformed her life. My heart exploded with pride as I watched this young lady embrace her potential.” September is quick to credit her professors for helping her acquire this skill. “Obviously, I learned a lot about occupational therapy,” Foisy said. “But probably the most important thing I am walking away with is a growth mindset. My professors kept reminding me that I was learning, and that it was okay to make mistakes. That’s important in all of life, but especially in a complex career like occupational therapy.” Many people in the occupational therapy profession want to work with kids. September brings a different perspective to her work. “I want to work with people of all ages who have development disabilities,” Foisy said. “My cousin has Down Syndrome. My youngest sister has cerebral palsy and epilepsy. They have both benefited so much from therapy. I want to give back so that other people receive the way they did. I want all people to know that they matter.” September pursued learning with vigor but she also made time to give back to her community through the Student Occupational Therapy Association at GRCC. Accredited OTA colleges are required to have a chapter of this association, which is organized under the umbrella of the American Occupational Therapy Association . However, Robin is quick to point out that the GRCC chapter is much more than a rubber stamp presence. “This is an active group,” Pegg said. “They do at least one community service project every semester. They’ve done sock drives, Alzheimer’s Walks, an intensive feeding clinic with Mary Free Bed and many other projects. September served as secretary and participated in so many of these events. She embodies the spirit of responsibility to the profession.” Her innate qualities, her learned skills and her commitment to the community earned September the 2025 OTA Student Scholarship Award from the Michigan Occupational Therapy Association . She is the most recent in a line of amazing GRCC students who have won the award every year since its inception in 2022. “Applicants for this scholarship are screened by a committee,” Pegg said. “They are looking for well-rounded students who have high academic standards but also a community focus. They want to reward people who demonstrate personal altruism. I am not at all surprised that September won this award. She embodies all of those characteristics.” So what is next for September? She is graduating as an OTA, which means that she will work directly with patients under the supervision of an occupational therapist. (Learn more about the work of an OTA in this December 2, 2024 article .) “I’m going to work as an assistant for a year or two, and then decide if I want to continue with my schooling,” Foisy said. “It’s fun to do field work and I want some hands-on experience.” Learn more about the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at GRCC . Article reported by Julie Hordyke.