Assembly of Student Delegates AOTA INSPIRE 2025 experience
Learning, connection, and inspiration are the three words that perfectly summarize my experience this year at the AOTA INSPIRE 2025 Annual Conference & Expo. There is something powerful about being in a room with thousands of people who share the same passion for occupational therapy. As a member of the Assembly of Student Delegates (ASD) Steering Committee, I had the opportunity to attend special meetings geared toward student involvement. Throughout the Conference I enjoyed being immersed through attending sessions on a variety of topics of interest, discussing with other students and practitioners projects and research at the poster sessions, feeling inspired by the Keynote speaker and Presidential addresses, and learning about tools and experiences occupational therapy practitioners can be a part of in the Exhibit Hall. As my last year attending the Conference as a student, it felt more meaningful and made me look forward to attending as a new practitioner.
The exciting weekend in Philadelphia began with the Assembly of Student Delegates (ASD) Connection Gathering the night before the Conference officially started. In this meeting, more than150 OT and OTA student leaders from across the country gathered to represent their schools and provide a space to speak about their SOTAs and their passions in OT, and to gain ideas from other programs. We learned about the American Occupational Therapy Political Action Committee (AOTPAC) and the importance of being a part of policy and support for our profession and our clients. Following this, we had a panel of four practicing OT professionals including Jamie Spencer (Miss Jamie OT), Courtney Lindblom (Courtney the OT), Claudia Jones, and Kara Welke (Next Level OT). These practitioners discussed their transition from student to practitioner, challenges they have faced during school and in practice, and the influence social media has had on them and their advocacy for OT. It sparked meaningful conversations about navigating the profession and left students inspired for the start of the Conference.
As members of the ASD Steering Committee, we were also invited to the Past Presidents meeting, where we discussed our role within ASD, our passions, and projects we are currently working on. We conversed with many past presidents of AOTA and were introduced to international leaders for OT, including the presidents of WFOT, the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland, and Occupational Therapy Australia.
As a student volunteer, I was able to sit with my committee members at the front of the convention center hall for the Keynote speaker and the Presidential Addresses. While waiting for the inspiring Keynote address, the different AOTA committees were recognized on the screen including Special Interest Sections (SIS), ASD, ASD Steering Committee, the OT Student Pulse editors, and more. During the Conference, I talked to passionate students and practitioners during the Home and Community Health SIS about how to get involved and about my role as the student intern.
My AOTA INSPIRE 2025 Annual Conference experience concluded with winning the jackpot at the NBCOT® booth, attending the AOTA Exam Prep Knowledge Quest, where students were able to study for the NBCOT® Exam in a friendly competition for AOTA and TherapyEd prizes, and watching the Awards and Recognition ceremony, followed by the reception, where I was able to say my goodbyes until next year’s Conference to the connections I have made. Overall, it was an incredible experience to network with students and practitioners from across the country, and I would highly recommend that all students attend if given the opportunity.
If you are interested in learning more about getting involved in AOTA as a part of ASD, check out more information here.
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Mya-Ann Tschopp is an OTD student at New York Institute of Technology where she will be graduating in May 2025. She is currently completing her doctoral capstone on educating and advocating for college students on the return to the education process post-concussion. She has occupational therapy areas of interest in neurology and physical rehabilitation.