Marisa Jasicki '20Sub-Title

Name: Marisa Jasicki

Graduation Year: 2020

Major: Communication Studies, Minor in Public Health

Your Story: I had an internship the summer after my junior year believing that I wanted to go into some type of corporate career. It was a great experience but I learned quickly about the things I did not see myself doing as a career. I then did a lot of research/shadowing of what I could do in a health-related field and found out about occupational therapy. My gap year helped me gain an even deeper appreciation for occupational therapy as I worked as a registered behavior technician and caregiver, which made it possible for me to learn about other focuses in the field and gain more shadowing experience.

Top Five Activities/Experiences (in no particular order)

1: Volunteer Caregiving

2: Shadowing Parkinson's Exercise class at River's Edge

3: J-term studying climate change/farming in Indonesia

4: Spring break studying journalism/communication in the Dominican Republic

5: Internship at Robert Half in Minneapolis

Advice:

1: Focus a little less on your studies (just a little), and give yourself the opportunity to find out about other passions that you have whether it be through work, extracurriculars, or volunteer opportunities. Your grades matter but so do your experiences (and health!!)

2: Take advantage of internships/shadowing experiences in your studies and in other areas of studies. If it is something that catches your interest- do it!

3: Do not be afraid/ashamed of gap years. Mine was extremely beneficial both in experience and financially.

Future Plans: Attending the College of St. Scholastica Occupational Therapy Program, starting Summer 2021