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Confidence,
connectedness,
liberating
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Midge Hobbs collaborated with mentor Maureen Peterson, MS, OT/L, FAOTA, chief professional affairs officer at AOTA. Midge wanted to take leadership on the road, and she accomplished this by presenting at her local university, at the Massachusetts Association for Occupational Therapy conference, and at the Student Conclave in Kentucky, and she will present at the 2011 AOTA Annual Conference & Expo in Philadelphia. Midge wants to inspire people to see that everyone has a voice that counts, and every practitioner is an ambassador for the profession.
Midge is in her fifth year of practice, and it was a challenge for her to incorporate the Emerging Leaders program into a busy work schedule, but her mentor understood the balance among work, life, and the program. Midge previously immersed herself in clinical work, however “[the program] gave me license to come up for air and reacquaint myself with the broader vision of occupational therapy,” she says. She gained confidence and a sense of connectedness to the occupational therapy community, but her biggest lesson was realizing that leaders don’t have to fly solo.
How did Emerging Leaders help you to live life to its fullest?
“I’ve definitely become more aware of my strengths. I also feel like my values, purpose, and long-term career goals are better aligned—all of which feels pretty liberating and life giving,” says Midge.
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