2024 VOTA Award Winners
Morgan Sbraccia, Virginia Commonwealth University | Morgan is a student at VCU. She has demonstrated extraordinary academic achievements and scholarship, maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA through her first year in our rigorous program. This is a testament to her intellectual capabilities, diligent work ethic, and commitment to excellence. Her performance in coursework and exams consistently reflects a deep understanding of the material and an ability to apply knowledge effectively. Beyond her academic achievements, Morgan has exhibited remarkable leadership and a strong sense of community. As a co-chair of the Student Representative to the Admissions and Recruitment Committee, she has been instrumental in shaping our program's engagement with prospective students. Her responsibilities include conducting tours, directing interviewees, leading faux interviews, and creating welcoming platforms on social media for new students. These initiatives have significantly enhanced the experience for incoming cohorts, fostering a supportive and informative environment. Her work has been so impactful that we hired her as an Admissions Assistant to support these endeavors. A primary aspect of her work is recruitment and retainment of diverse individuals, as this is a priority of our university, as well as the state and national association. Morgan has shown an unwavering commitment to volunteerism and community service. Her involvement with the YMCA’s learning program on Saturday mornings highlights her dedication to giving back and supporting educational initiatives. She has also volunteers with Sportable, volunteering at the National Wheelchair Basketball Championships as well as at their weekly pickleball sessions. In her role as the fundraising chair for Phi Theta Epsilon (PTE), Morgan is poised to further contribute to our community through innovative fundraising efforts starting this fall. Her proactive approach in organizing social events, such as the open house social, underscores her ability to bring people together and create meaningful connections among across different years. In the future, she wants to work in the community, although currently has interest in both adult and pediatric practice. |
OT GRADUATE AWARD
VOTA CENTENNIAL WINNERAshley Gros, Virginia Commonwealth University | Ashley is a student at VCU. She is a true academic standout. She demonstrates an unwavering dedication to excellence in rigorous occupational therapy program, completing the first year of the program with a 4.0 GPA. Her commitment to her studies and intellectual growth is truly commendable. Beyond her academic achievements, Ashley has demonstrated exceptional leadership. Her experience in caregiving for her father with 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. She has taken on 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. She is demonstrating her leadership potential in our program and the profession by starting our dual degree OTD-PhD program, in which she will begin her research career this upcoming academic year, taking courses in the PhD program while working on her entry-level occupational therapy doctorate degree. Ashley has consistently been engaged in meaningful community service. Her involvement with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and her efforts with her sorority, including writing letters to nursing home residents and assembling care packages for service members, exemplify her commitment to giving back. Her values of intentionality, love, compassion, and trust are not mere words but are reflected in her actions, making her a reliable and compassionate contributor to the community. In the future, she hopes to practice clinically alongside conducting research. She sees herself recognizing issues presented in practice and diving deeper into them as needed. Long term, she hopes to transition into a professor role and aid in the development of the next generation of occupational therapy practitioners. |
BARBARA HOWARD WINNER Claire Michaux, Tidewater Community College | Claire is a student at Tidewater Community College. She has demonstrated numerous characteristics and personality traits that embody the qualities of an occupational therapy assistant student. She has been engaged in all course material presented and demonstrated active learning throughout the classroom. She has had a thirst for knowledge and has grown in her therapeutic skills during classroom activities and lab check-offs. She consistently communicates professionally and thoroughly through written and oral mediums. Her passion and motivation to further her understanding of the field of occupational therapy has contributed to her success as a student by consistently seeking out learning opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom. She actively collaborates with classmates and community members to maximize learning opportunities while demonstrating genuine care and concern for the growth of those around her. She is a creative student who strives to think outside of the box when seeking solutions for various challenges. She has grown and blossomed under the significant pressures of didactic coursework and continues to be eager to become the best student possible. She volunteers and serves in her community through various church activities and community outreaches, including leading a middle school aged small group and volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club and the Thrive Food Pantry. She also volunteers yearly with PORT, which is an emergency winter shelter for those experiencing homelessness. In the future, she looks forward to practicing as a clinician and also wants to pursue further studies, hoping to earn her OTD at a local university. |
OT ASSISTANTSTUDENT AWARD Maya Tynes, Tidewater Community College | Maya is a student at Tidewater Community College. From an early age, being a nurturer has been a core part of her identity. After graduating from high school, she became a Behavioral Therapist, earning her Registered Behavioral Technician certification to assist children on the autism spectrum. This experience inspired her to pursue a career as an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA), where she aims to enhance clients' quality of life by developing essential everyday skills. As an OTA student, she has demonstrated numerous characteristics that embody the qualities of an exemplary assistant. She engages deeply with course material, showing a thirst for knowledge and growth in her therapeutic skills during classroom activities and lab check-offs. She consistently communicates professionally and thoroughly through both written and oral mediums. Her passion and motivation to further her understanding of occupational therapy contribute significantly to her success. She actively seeks learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom and has demonstrated leadership and collaboration as President of the Tidewater Community College Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA). In this role, she coordinates meetings, volunteer opportunities, fundraisers, and community events, while collaborating with classmates and community members to maximize learning opportunities. Her creativity enables her to think outside the box when seeking solutions to various challenges. She has flourished under the pressures of rigorous coursework and remains eager to become the best occupational therapy practitioner possible. Her future goal as an OTA is to become an expert in her field, working alongside an occupational therapist to creatively help clients engage in meaningful activities. She recognizes the importance of continuing education in a constantly evolving healthcare landscape. |
2024 AOTF Award 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'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. |
