Michelle Bracci

Background

About Michelle Bracci

When I was a junior in high school, I accompanied my friend to her grandmother's therapy appointment. At the time I didn't realize how impactful this would be, but in hindsight, I recognize it as the catalyst which set my career ambitions in motion, and led me to becoming an occupational therapist. I am proud of this accomplishment because I can continue to pursue my passion of connecting with people and supporting them to achieve their goals. Through acheiving my own career goal, I will now be able to help others identify and reach theirs in a holistic, client-centered way. Growing up, I was very shy but ironically I was drawn to a field which requires you to constantly interact with all sorts of different people on a daily basis. I must have known I had it within me to break out of my shell because I began to seek out personal and professional experiences that forced me out of my comfort zone. These unearthed skills I inherently possessed and in turn fostered new ones. Since graduating college, I have worked as a personal trainer at two gyms tailoring workout programs to meet the needs of clients across the lifespan. I also led numerous group classes and motivated members to push themselves, which helped further develop my leadership skills and find my voice so they could hear me over the loud music! During my time in this position, I promoted lifestyle change and was inspired as I witnessed remarkable weight loss journeys. In graduate school at Bay Path University, I was granted the opportunity to assist in Sensorimotor Labs primarily focused on range of motion, manual muscle testing, transfer techniques, and sensation. This experience instilled a confidence within me to trust what I know and share that information with others. It also opened my eyes to the possibility of teaching an OT related course one day because I found leading open labs and clarifying concepts to the students to be very fulfilling. From January to July, I completed my Level 2 fieldwork experiences; one placement in a Skilled Nursing Facility in Colorado and one in home health. I really enjoyed this practice area and hope to continue my journey as an OT in physical dysfunction. I believe that my drive and interpersonal and creativity skills I've continued to develop over the years will provide me with the foundation necessary to successfully fulfill my future role as a practicing OT. My other passions along with OT include yoga, jump rope, outdoor activities such as hiking and skiing, reading (preferably by a lake), and learning something new every day.