Lilly Alfaro planned to attend medical school after earning her undergraduate degree in kinesiology. Then, she was injured while playing intramural rugby, causing her to see an occupational therapist.

“My therapist was super nice. She would explain everything she was doing and that really got me interested,” Lilly said. “This could be something I want to do.”

Once she was healed, Lilly began shadowing a pediatric occupational therapist because of her love for children. She instantly loved it and found herself there constantly. The experience solidified her decision to become an occupational therapist.

Lilly applied to several graduate schools but remembered College of Saint Mary after she had visited it in high school. After she interviewed, CSM was her No. 1 pick. “It met all the requirements of what I was looking for: the classes were smaller, and I’d have more of an opportunity to make connections with my professors,” the Denison, Iowa, native said.

CSM’s Occupational Therapy Doctorate focuses on developing clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory development. In addition, students must complete two 12-week fieldwork experiences along with a 14-week doctoral experience that culminates in a scholarly project.

Since enrolling in the fall of 2023, Lilly said the OTD program has met her expectations. Her professors, all of whom have an open-door policy for their students, have also been a major influence. Now, instead of just pediatrics, Lilly is also considering neurology.

“Dr. (Mary) Smith was great. She was my neuro professor. She’s the reason I want to go into neuro just because of how she taught the class,” Lilly said.

 Smith also motivated Lilly to think about how she could make an impact in her own Hispanic community, which is important to her.

“I know it’s harder for Hispanic families to get occupational therapy because they don’t know what it is,” Lilly said. “I want to be that voice in the different Hispanic communities to tell them what occupational therapy is and how it can help them.”

Upon completing her doctorate, Lilly hopes to find an area with an underserved population. Her hometown, she said, would be a good example of that. “I think the Hispanic population exceeds the white population. I just want to go to an underserved area to see how I can help.”

Lilly will graduate in 2026.