Dani Trepaney '20

As a student who went to UNE for undergrad and chose to come back for grad school, I don’t think I would recommend anywhere else more highly. There is no other school that provides so many beneficial in-class and out-of-class opportunities. I love my program, I have made friends that have become my family, and I have formed so many incredible memories here. UNE really works for its students.

The community is accepting — we are all here to help each other out, no matter what program. We support each other as students and as friends, especially here on the graduate campus where we are under high stress. Sometimes, it’s a matter of just getting out to try a new taco restaurant together to get some time away from the pressure of school. Other times, it’s studying together for hours to prepare for an exam. I will appreciate these experiences the most after graduating.

Learning Everywhere

As challenging as it can be, the opportunities outside the classroom are the best part of the OT program here. We are exposed to a variety of diverse communities that we may not see on a daily basis in our practice — such as the mental health community, older adult population, and children. You’re not always going to get that at other schools. The professors here broaden our horizons as health professionals and as people. We’re provided opportunities where we get out into the community — in ways that other schools didn’t seem to provide — that will undoubtedly help us out in our fieldwork rotations and as future OTs.

Our fieldwork, though not in a clinical setting, was also a whole new experience. You don’t get these situations in textbooks. You go in, you are in a situation of uncertainty, and you have to figure it out on your own. You are really just thrown in, and being able to figure it out on your own is the coolest thing I have ever been able to do. That’s why I came back to UNE for grad school after undergrad. It’s a specific challenge that I feel here that makes me engage with my learning that much more.

UNE has made me want to stay involved with my local community, wherever that ends up being, and be able to dabble in different areas of OT work.