Meet Rossangelly Toro Carrillo ’19 who participated in the Alumni Job Shadowing Program at the McGovern School
Full Name: Rossangelly Toro Carrillo
Class Year: 2019
Major: Psychology and Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies
Shadowing Visit Site: McGovern School
1. Describe your visit and what did you gain from the experience?
My visit was an all day experience where I was able to observe Lucia Coplan in both aspects of her job as the school’s occupational therapist. For the first half, I sat in on meetings between her and teachers and/or other faculty members where they discussed their concerns regarding certain students and their plan of action. In the second half, I was able to watch her carry out her sessions with a different range of students, implementing different techniques. It was really nice to gain a different view on what goes into being an occupational therapist and what it looked like specifically in the educational setting.
2. How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans/goals?
I came into Holy Cross expecting to be a biology pre-med student because I never realized how much there was in the medical field. This experience really enlightened me to push beyond the boundaries I know and search for things I never knew were there. Lucia shared great experiences from doing occupational therapy with veterans and how medically driven that was. It was nice to feel like I had finally found the profession I was so desperately searching for. The more I asked Lucia about her experiences and career, the more I could see myself in her shoes.
3. What is some helpful advice your alumni host shared with you?
Lucia really emphasized the importance of the Holy Cross alumni network and just how far it could take you. She was also really great about ensuring that I realized that occupational therapy is a very diverse career – it could serve in education, medicine, business. It was nice to see that I could have so many options and to hear from Lucia the path she wishes someone would have told her about.
4. Why would you recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students?
It’s a great experience to see first hand what actually takes place on the day to day of someone’s profession. Even if it is something that you don’t necessarily think you’d like, being exposed to this experience might change your mind. It could also do the opposite and show you that what you always thought you wanted actually isn’t what you think it is. The experience is great not only for opening up your perspectives on different paths but also for networking. We are fortunate enough to have incredibly loving alumni and it is important to take advantage of those opportunities.
