Kendall grad awarded scholarship for occupational therapy at Husson University

Staff Reports Posted 18 September 2017 at 9:08 pm

Husson University announced that Allison N. Christensen, a fifth-year student pursuing her Master of Science in occupational therapy, is this year’s recipient of the Margaret Louise Burckes Scholarship. Christensen is a graduate of Kendall Junior Senior High School.

Each year the Burckes Scholarship is given to a Husson University student, in good academic standing, who demonstrates a commitment to service and occupational therapy as a profession. Financial need is also taken into consideration. Recipients are selected by faculty members in Husson’s School of Occupational Therapy.

Allison’s mother, Cindy Christensen, recalls how her daughter first became interested in occupational therapy. “I work at a school that has an occupational therapy department. At the time, Allison was struggling to figure out what she wanted to do with her life.  She ended up shadowing the preschool’s occupational therapist and completed a research paper on this profession in high school. After learning more about occupational therapy, she decided that it would be a good career choice and she’s never regretted it.”

An outstanding student, Allison began her studies at Husson in the fall of 2013. She has been named to the Honors, Dean’s or President’s List for seven of the past eight semesters. In 2017, she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in healthcare studies from the University, which is based in Bangor, ME.

“Receiving this $1,000 scholarship means so much to me,” said Allison. “I’m just overwhelmed that the faculty gave me this vote of confidence.  It’s like they’re saying, ‘we believe in you and know that you have what it takes to provide care to others.’”

Allison continued: “As part of the scholarship presentation, I got to hear about the life of Margaret Louise Burckes. One of my closest friends leaned over and whispered to me, ‘she sounds just like your twin!’  I’ve always dreamed about going on mission trips and doing the kinds of things that Margaret has done.”

This scholarship is made possible through the generosity of Margaret Louise Burckes. Burckes career afforded her the opportunity to work in rehabilitation hospitals, nursing homes, and in homecare services with people who had both mental and physical disabilities.

Over the course of her career, Burckes travelled to 15 countries, including Singapore and Thailand, in order to serve populations in need of occupational therapy (OT) services.

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