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Alumni Career Feature – Elaine Guild Ulmer

We feature alumni with interesting careers from a variety of career areas. To find out more about the alumnus profession contact them via the e-mail provided. Or if you are interested in being featured, e-mail us at alumni@pct.edu.

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Elaine Guild Ulmer

• A.A.S., Occupational Therapy Assistant, 1999
• Oak Hills Local Schools
• Cincinnati, OH
• LaiLae@aol.com

How did you choose your present career? Please explain how you decided to major in your area of study during college.

I actually broke both bones in my arm in 9th grade. Due to the severity of the breaks, I had to have Occupational Therapy. While I was receiving therapy I noticed that I was really interested in what the therapists were doing in the clinic. I volunteered during the remaining four summers of high school at the Occupational Therapy Department at Williamsport Hospital. I also observed the Physical Therapy Department to see if I might like to pursue a career in that field. I applied to PCT fall of my senior year. I had also applied to other schools and been accepted but decided to go to PCT because of the program's reputation and hands-on education.

What advice do you have to offer to a student who is struggling with identification of a major/career field in college?

Do what I did: get out and volunteer and observe fields. Once you find something you like to do, you'll have the drive to succeed in that field.

How were you hired at your present position?

I was working for a rehabilitative company in nursing homes and home health. I had to travel with that position and I was looking for a change. I wanted a pediatric position and saw an advertisement for my present position in the newspaper. I applied, interviewed and was selected. I love working in the school system.

What positions did you hold before this one?

I worked as an activities coordinator in a nursing home while awaiting licensure in Ohio and worked for a rehabilitative company.

What would you tell a Penn College graduating student about your career field?

Even though jobs may be scarce in the Williamsport area, there is a great need for therapists in larger cities. Occupational Therapy can be a very rewarding career if you like to help people achieve their potential.

What was the most significant thing you learned on the job during your first year?

I learned that the long-term care field is not my first choice for my career. I also learned that working with children in the schools is a challenge but it is well worth the effort. I learned that there is always something new to learn about your job no matter where you are in your career.

What was most difficult about your transition to the world of work?

The hardest part was moving away from home and learning to find my way around a large city. The job transition went smoothly as I was prepared and ready for it.

What was the greatest strength of your Penn College/Williamsport Area Community College education? (What did you learn at Penn College that helped you a great deal in your career?)

The hands-on training in labs was the biggest strength of the program. The staff are all well educated and have vast clinical knowledge to share with their students. The faculty genuinely wants you to succeed and set high expectations for everyone. Often employers hold high expectations for us. It was good to have these expectations in college to prepare us for the working world.

What should students in your field do to prepare themselves for their career?

Volunteering in different settings where a COTA could work. Don't limit it to just COTA positions. Many in my class did not work as a COTA immediately. We are trained to use our skills learned to obtain positions in various settings including industry (injury prevention due to work hazards or repetitive motion injuries), prisons, nursing home activities departments and many other places. I took a college course my senior year so that I had an idea of the expectations for college. It wasn't so overwhelming my first semester when I had 18 credits.

What do you find the most enjoyable about your career field and your present position?

In my current position in the schools, I like helping children overcome physical, visual and cognitive deficits to help them grow into happy functional adults. I have the independence to develop treatment (lesson) plans tailor made to each individual student's needs. I work as part of the educational team as an equal partner to develop goals for students.

How do you see your field changing in the next three to five years? Will this change require you to obtain additional training?

I see the job market getting better in many areas especially long-term care as organizations adapt to the new Medicare laws. As for working with pediatrics in the school system, there will always be children with needs; in fact our numbers are constantly increasing.

What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in three years?

My plans for the future include getting a master's degree in occupational therapy or a degree in teaching multiply handicapped children in the special education setting. I have a great interest in autistic children and children that have very low cognitive functioning. I would eventually like to do consulting in the field of special education of children.

If you could redo your college experience, how/would you prepare differently to enter the workplace?

I don't think I would change anything about my college experience.

From your perspective, what are three to five needed skills that your employer was seeking in a new employee?

Enthusiasm for the job, knowledge of the field, willingness to work as a team member. Everyone needs to work as a team member no matter what your job is.

Have you received any special recognition or awards through your employment or professional organizations to which you belong?

I have not received any "awards" but have been "rewarded" every day by the children and their parents for helping them to have a brighter future.