AOTF Scholarship Program: Overview and History

Virginia's 2024 AOTF Scholarship Winners

Ashley Gros, Virginia Commonwealth University

Ashley currently has a 4.0 GPA in the VCU OTD program after taking Intro to OT and Anatomy this summer. She is also currently earning A’s in all of her fall courses including neuroscience. Not only is Ashley a strong student, but she works to support others in her cohort by explaining difficulty concepts. Ashley serves on the leadership committee for her OTD cohort, volunteers one day per week for a community aquatic center (a special program for children with physical disabilities) and continues to work part time while being enrolled in school. Ashley has demonstrated exceptional leadership potential. Her experience in caregiving for her father, who battled ALS, highlights her resilience and ability to take on significant responsibilities. Ashley cared for her father while simultaneously supporting her mother and other siblings while going through this difficult time. This not only introduced her to the healthcare profession but underscores her strong sense of responsibility and leadership within her own family unit. Her focus on responsibility continued in college as she took not the role as a dialogue facilitator, leading members on different social responsibility topics several times a year. Her ability to manage these demanding roles with grace and compassion speaks to her potential to lead and inspire others. Ashley is an exceptional individual who embodies the qualities and potential that the AOTF Scholarship seeks to nurture and support. Her dedication to intellectual growth, leadership, and community service, coupled with her strong values, make her an outstanding candidate for this scholarship.

Sarah Frances House, James Madison University 

Sarah's clinical and interactive skills are very advanced for her level of education. From her work experience in hospital inpatient settings,  to the work in clinics and private practice rehab settings, Sarah has gained an incredible knowledge base of occupational therapy. Sarah  has been a great advocate for persons with special needs and autism, and cares about  persons who are in need of an advocate for their continued rehab.  "While volunteering with a Parkinson's exercise support group at a PT and OT Outpatient Rehab private practice, Sarah was alerted to the practice's plans to close down due, which would  take away the ability to have this group continue to meet.  Sarah took many steps to seek alternative places, directors, and financial support to continue to provide a place for this group to continue to meet. Sarah has been involved in research groups and is committed to advancing the awareness to all that Occupational Therapy provides in meeting community needs.  Already at this early stage of her career, she has proven herself to be a strong advocate for the OT Profession and the people they serve. Sarah has given back. She sought out leadership roles in both our OT Program’s SOTA (Student OT Association) as well as within our COTAD chapter (Coalition for OT Advocates for Diversity). She is the treasurer for both organizations, a role most students shy away from.