Houston Heats Up
It's sunny and in the 80s this week in Houston, but its occupational therapists who are really heating up the city as thousands have come from far and wide for AOTA's 89th annual conference.
If you've ever attended an AOTA conference, you know the opening ceremonies are always something to look forward to. This year was no exception, as OTs were up in the aisles dancing to the live band, doing the Electric Slide or weaving a conga line throughout the hall.
AOTA President Penelope Moyers-Cleveland welcomed all to the conference, reminding why "Energy" is the theme of this year's conference. "Right now occupational therapy is at an important juncture on the road to the Centennial Vision," she told the thousands of therapists in attendance. "We have many shovel-ready construction projects but we have hit some potholes, but we can't let them stand in the way. We need to buckle our seatbelts, step on the accelerator and get those sparkplugs firing!" she exclaimed to cheers and applause.
Moyers-Cleveland also took a few minutes to recognize some special groups in the audience, including those occupational therapists who serve in the Armed Forces, the many OT students in attendance, and occupational therapy assistants, who celebrate 50 years of their own history this year.
Shirley Wells and Roxie Black, co-authors of the new book Culture Occupation, introduced this year's keynote speaker, Freeman Hrabowski III, president of the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Hrabowski conveyed to attendees the importance of knowing one's own story. We each are products of our experiences, he told the crowd, and to understand someone else's culture and situation, we must first know our own stories.
"You must look in the mirror and know that you make a difference," he said. "It is important to feel the energy of what you do and the difference that you make."
There are two kinds of people in the world, he continued: those who suck the energy out of you, and those who inspire you and energize you. "Each of us every day has the opportunity to be in one of those two categories."
Knowing who you are and why you do what you do empowers you to bring the very best to your clients and their families.
Hrabowski left by encouraging OTs to ask themselves, "Why do you do what you do?" What's your answer? What brought you to this field and what keeps you going everyday?