Gaye Catlin, former assistant to Dr. Cynthia Maskey, dean of health professions, returned to campus Friday to speak to occupational therapy assistant students about her recovery from traumatic injuries suffered in a fall at her home in December, 2019. Accompanied by her husband, Scott Catlin, and Dr. Maskey, Gaye told students how important their work is, even though patients “may not like them at the time.” She encouraged them to be persistent yet understanding with patients as they work on various therapy strategies. She said they would be appreciated later when patients realized how their assistance helped them regain strength and mobility. 

Dr. Yvonne Cosentino, director, OTA program, said the visit was very special and valuable to her class. “Thank you to Dr. Maskey for arranging an OTA program guest speaker visit with Gaye Catlin. This is Gaye’s first visit back to Health Professions  after experiencing a lifechanging injury. Gaye and her husband  shared their very personal experience with students in the second year OTA cohort.  Students asked pertinent questions and received honest feedback from Gaye who went through an extensive rehabilitation process. This invaluable experience will support the future practices of our LLCC OTA students through an understanding of the rehab process from the perspective of the client. The OTA program is grateful for the time Gaye and Scott took away from their busy schedules and look forward to future visits! What a wonderful start to April, the National Occupational Therapy Celebration Month!”