With the hustle and bustle of student life, we may not have the opportunity to introduce ourselves to every student we pass. Allow me to introduce to you Hailey Erickson.
Erickson is a fourth-year occupational therapy student here at Elizabethtown College.
Coming here from Lockhaven, Pennsylvania, Erickson decided to make the journey to Etown for the small campus as it reminds her of home.
“I like the small campus environment, I come from a very small town,” Erickson said.
As she was interested in occupational therapy, Etown’s 3+2 master’s degree or 3+3 doctoral degree fast track program caught her eye.
“I like the OT program. I like that it was a fast track. You know five years, get your master, six years get your doctoral,” Erickson said.
Like many others, Erickson appreciates Truman’s presence on campus, even listing him in reasons she chose Etown.
“Truman was definitely a pulling factor,” Erickson said.
The small knit community remains at the top of her list, as it remains one of her favorite things about Etown. To be able to interact with staff and have them hear you is very important to her.
“My favorite thing about Etown would probably be how different staff members really try to understand you as a person rather than just a number in a seat. You’re actually someone,” Erickson said. “And it’s not just professors. My boss, she’s really great about getting to know her staff and making it almost like a little family.”
Despite her love for the tight knit community, the cliques it can create is an unfortunate side effect.
“My least favorite [thing about Etown], I feel like sometimes the size of it, being so small,” Erickson said. “While it does help out with getting to know people, I feel like most people get in their certain grooves. It’s kind of hard to make those new connections. Also with it being so small, there’s only so many people here that you can make a connection with. It can be very limiting because it kind of becomes clique-y, almost like high school.”
Despite that, she appreciates her time on campus, intending to stay for her master’s. After graduating with her master’s, Erickson’s main goal is to help people.
“I like to serve others, I myself have ADHD,” Erickson said. “I grew up with friends with different disabilities. I kind of say how occupational therapy impacted their lives. I thought about doing special education. I wanted to be more hands on and help on the educational aspects of things and how people live their lives more independently. I think that’s really important.”
After completing field work in mental health occupational therapy, the importance stuck with her. While she intends to keep her options open and explore more paths of occupational therapy, she enjoys working with the autistic population and intends to do so after graduation.
“I would love to work with the autistic population in any way I can…” Erickson said. “I like mental health occupational therapy as well, I think it’s really important. I had field work in it in the spring, so I’m learning more about that and find it really interesting.”
As long as she is involved in the community and helping others, Erickson will be happy with her career. She lives true to the college’s motto, Educate for Service.
