LIVE From South College - General Studies with Dr Maureen Lambert and OTA with Suzanne Chittom

Ready to go "back to basics" on your education?  Need a refresher if it has "been a minute" since you went to school?  Or - thinking about a career in Occupational therapy? In Episode 35 of the Live From South College podcast, Kathleen Stockham hosts Dr. Maureen Lambert, Dean of General and Health Science Education, and Suzanne Chittom, Senior Chair of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program. They discuss the foundational role of general education in health sciences, the flexibility of the pre-nursing program, and the unique aspects of the OTA program. The episode highlights the importance of building a strong educational foundation and the diverse career paths available in health sciences.

Keywords

South College, general education, health sciences, pre-nursing, occupational therapy assistant, educational foundation, career paths, student success, healthcare education, flexible learning

Takeaways

• Dr. Maureen Lambert emphasizes the transformational journey of students entering college.
• The pre-nursing program provides a strong foundation for various healthcare careers.
• General education courses are crucial for preparing students for rigorous programs.
• Suzanne Chittom explains the holistic approach of the OTA program.
• Occupational therapy focuses on meaningful daily activities, not just jobs.
• The OTA program includes both online and hands-on lab components.
• Students are encouraged to connect with instructors and peers for support.
• South College offers robust tutoring and support services.
• The importance of adaptability and exploring different healthcare paths is highlighted.
• Both guests share personal stories of their educational and career journeys.

• Exploring Health Sciences at South College
• The Journey of Education and Healthcare
• Building Foundations in Health and Education
• Navigating Career Paths in Health Sciences
• The Role of General Education in Healthcare
• Understanding the Pre-Nursing Program
• Occupational Therapy: Beyond the Basics
• Student Success Stories at South College
• Flexible Learning in Health Sciences
• The Transformative Power of Education

Sound bites

Transformational journey of students Strong foundation for healthcare careers Holistic approach of OTA program Focus on meaningful daily activities Robust tutoring and support services Adaptability in healthcare paths Personal stories of educational journeys Importance of general education Flexible learning opportunities Student success at South College

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction to South College Podcast
• 00:00:00 The Role of General Education
• 00:00:00 Pre-Nursing Program Insights
• 00:00:00 Occupational Therapy Assistant Program
• 00:00:01 Student Success and Support Services
• 00:00:01 Personal Journeys and Career Paths

Got a question? Have some feedback? Email us at SouthCollegePodcast@south.edu or come visit us at www.south.edu.  Follow us on social media too.  The Live from South College Podcast is your source for all South College activity including new student information, deeps dive’s into our 100+ programs, and concentrations,  “Tools of the Trade,” and even Live on location from all of our campuses! Great interviews with Faculty, Staff, Deans and hear from South College students and alumni in their own words. From Certificates all the way to Doctoral degrees, catch up with “Live from South College” for the lighter side of helping your dreams find direction. 

Transcript

TRANSCRIPT – General Studies with Dr Maureen Lambert and OTA with Suzanne Chittom

Kathleen Stockham (00:34)

Welcome to the Live From South College podcast. I'm your host Kathleen Stockham. The Live From South College podcast is your source for all South College activity, including new student information, deep dives into our 100 plus programs and concentrations, tools of the trade and even live on location from all of our campuses, great interviews with faculty, staff, deans, and hear from South College students and alumni in their own words.

from certificates all the way to doctoral degrees catch up with live from South College for the lighter side of helping your dreams fund direction. They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with, well, the first step. For some of our students, that first step is the opening few quarters of college or just starting that associate's degree with bigger plans later on in healthcare. My guest today is at the beginning and the center of these first steps.

and the beginnings for the general education courses and associate programs in health sciences. It is my pleasure to welcome the Dean of General and Health Science Education, Dr. Maureen Lambert. Hi, Dr. Lambert.

Maureen Lambert (01:44)

Hello!

Kathleen Stockham (01:46)

Yay! Well, thank you for being here. I'm excited to get into this. We talk a lot about all of our programs, but this is an area we haven't quite focused enough on yet. So I'm excited to get this underway.

You are literally part of the front lines when many of our students are just getting underway with their first foray into college. So let's go. You are the Dean of General and Health Science Education. This means that you're at the very beginning for a lot of our students. How cool is that?

Maureen Lambert (02:14)

It's really amazing. First of all, thank you, Kathleen, for having me here. It's always exciting to talk about, getting started with college and just the decisions that go into that and then the journey that it is. And I think that over my time in higher ed, I've always been focused in sort of the foundational experience, that entry point in the college. And it's such a transformational time for students.

Every single one of them has a unique story about their path and why they decided to come to school. And I don't think I've met a single student yet that isn't here because they want to change their life and change maybe the future generations that will follow them. So it's just a really exciting place to be. I love the students that we work with and I love the role that general education and health sciences gets to play in their careers.

Kathleen Stockham (03:02)

I love that so much and you're right. mean, that's one of the things that I love about what we do at South College that I think sometimes gets lost in numbers and emails and other things is that we are really part of a journey to help someone change their life, improve their life, change the forecast for their family and sit at that sort of opening and precipice of all the things that they can do and it makes it amazing. So health science is a very popular area for programs like pre-nursing, literally.

one of our most promising and largest programs and even the master of public health. Tell us more about these programs.

Maureen Lambert (03:40)

Sure, science's curriculum is really about just building that strong foundation for any students who want to move on to advanced degrees. So like maybe Bachelor of Science in Nursing, or it could be, as you mentioned, a Master's of Public Health. There's so many different paths that they can take. So with the AS in Health Science, the pre-nursing program, students are exposed to courses like anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry.

And all of those courses really help to prepare them for the rigor of what they're going to experience once they enter the BSN program. So it establishes that real foundation in health sciences. It helps them kind of speak that language, understand, the concepts and, really just put them on the right path, making sure that this is where they should be. You know, we might have some students that come into the AS, pre-nursing program and feel like,

Quickly they've been exposed to maybe a different area and they decide, physical therapy is more my thing or imaging science is more my thing. And that's okay because they've built that strong foundation and they know kind of where to go.

Kathleen Stockham (04:46)

Yeah, that's one of the things about health science. I answer a lot of questions about that on Facebook. We get a lot of questions on our ads about what is health science and particularly for pre-nursing, you know, what if I get into the program and I don't want to be a nurse? That's the best thing about it. This is associative health science with a concentration in pre-nursing is that's really the cornerstone to decide. You can take that.

health science degree and you can actually springboard into a lot of directions if you decide nursing is not for you, but to your point, it gives you an excellent foundation and that's amazing. So some students need to start with general education or gen ed courses to prepare them for the rigors of their program like nursing or business. Why do you think students need to really embrace their ability to freshen up a little bit on some skills before the major classes start?

Maureen Lambert (05:41)

Sure, sure. And I started out as an English adjunct here and taught then English full time. And so I've been teaching that very first in, English composition course prior to even coming to South College. So it's been about 20 years of me teaching that entry level English course. And so I'm not afraid to address the elephant of the room, which is why do I have to take these classes? A lot of students want to come and they just want to get right into that core curriculum.

and get through the degree. So I understand the feeling, but I will say that what we do in general education is we really give students that preparation for what they're gonna expect when they go into the program. We are, I would say across the board in the general education department, our faculty, our administrators, deans and curriculum experts, and all of us just really care deeply that students

have a strong foundation and that they are going to be able to take the skills that they learn from us into their classes so that they're better prepared. We help build their confidence. We help them learn things like study skills and time management. In addition to those academic skills that they might need to brush up on, like writing and communication and math. So these are all things that the program faculty are really gonna expect them.

to know and to have under their belts by the time they get there. And I can't tell you how many times I hear from faculty in the program or even employers who say that the students that have those foundational skills and come into the programs with those foundational skills are the ones that are most successful and the ones that are most successful also finding competitive employment. So it's just really important. And again, we try to embrace the student where they are.

help them become a better student, help them develop those critical thinking and writing and reading and math skills so that they can really be successful as they move forward.

Kathleen Stockham (07:37)

Yeah.

that and I think it's something that often gets overlooked by a lot of different depending on the company or depending on what direction these high school graduates go in where they may not have necessarily had I know back in my day and I say that you know it sounds really because I am old but but back in my day your English teacher especially I mean there was rigor you had to drill and drill and drill and drill on even simple things

things like, comma splices and putting where they shouldn't be and putting some words together as one word that when they typically aren't one word and all of those things. I've noted even with my own kids who are now thankfully out of college. But I remember when they were in high school, I was amazed sometimes that there wasn't necessarily that hardcore, you know, hit you on the wrist with the ruler kind of move when you didn't use great grammar. So I find that really

interesting and I kind of wish that these classes were more available for folks like me who have been out of school for a really long time and I write all the time in my job but I also know with the advent of social media and particularly with email a lot of the grammar requirements sort of go out the window so I think that email might be a spoiler and a reason why sometimes folks maybe are not so great on the grammar on one of them.

Maureen Lambert (08:55)

Right. Right.

Kathleen Stockham (09:03)

So tell me what are your typical challenges that your students face while they're in Gen Ed?

Maureen Lambert (09:10)

Well, I think just the transitional time of coming to college is such a huge life event. You're really basically changing your entire way of life by adding college to your daily routine. So many of our students are really busy people. I went to college, I was a very traditional student, 18 years old, went to a large residential college, lived in the dorm. College was my life. But our students are a bit different. Many of them are

coming after some years away from school or maybe unsuccessful attempts elsewhere. Many of them are older students. Many of them have families already. They might have children or they might be caregivers to other family members at home. They just come with a lot of stressors. They come with a lot on their plates. So I think just kind of the social dynamic of coming to college and having all these other extras outside of the classroom.

is really the biggest challenge and that really influences them before they even start working on their very first assignment. So again, in Gen Ed and in health sciences, our role is really to just establish this foundation to help them make that adjustment, to help them kind of figure out their time management and how are they gonna set aside time to study and.

set aside time to come to class and devote time to their online class and things like that. I think some students also have some really negative experiences with education. So they come from maybe a background where they didn't have a lot of support from their instructors or their teachers in high school or even grade school. Some of them might not even have family kind of at home cheering them on. So those types of things are so important and without them, they kind of come in already just

at struggling. And then in addition to that, there's obviously all the impacts that come with, COVID sending high school students home and a deficit of skills in terms of reading and writing and things like that. So I just think that the struggles are both academic and they're social. And again, so we're kind of just really designed to be very supportive.

Kathleen Stockham (11:07)

Yes.

Maureen Lambert (11:20)

We want our students to get messy. We want them to ask questions. We want them to learn from their mistakes, to again, just help them really build their confidence so that they can really be successful once they get into their programs.

Kathleen Stockham (11:33)

Yeah, I love that message and it's true. We definitely have our fair share on every campus of non-traditional students. I think that's what makes us great and I think it's what makes us unique because these students bring to your point all sorts of life experiences, definitely family situations and to your point coming from all spectrums of previous education.

But I also think you make a really good point about, particularly these kids. And I know my kids also were in the middle of this. the COVID era kids that, couldn't go to school, couldn't be on campus. My two kids were in college at the time and, they couldn't go anywhere, couldn't do anything. And for my son living in the dorm, he couldn't even leave to do anything. And that was just not natural for their for their learning environment. But I think if nothing else,

we help these students learn how to, yeah, they're gonna make mistakes, but how you recover? How do you recover from making an error or not learning something the right way? And I think that's the unique thing that South College brings is this is not about where you've been, it's about where you're going. And I love that so much.

Maureen Lambert (12:30)

Right. Right.

Kathleen Stockham (12:44)

So let's switch it up a little bit. I want to talk about and go back to the Associate of Science of Health Science pre-nursing. It is literally, as I mentioned, one of our most popular programs. get the most questions about this program on social media because I think there's some potentially some misunderstanding. Students love it because this program knocks out all the prereqs that you need to qualify to apply to nursing school. But it also really prepares you.

for the demands of a career in healthcare. And while it doesn't lead to licensure, and that's very important, it does not lead to a licensure exam, but tell us in your opinion why you think allied health background is so important.

Maureen Lambert (13:25)

Sure, I think that earning the associates degree, really makes our students strong candidates for a nursing program. But it also just gives them those marketable skills that they can use along the way in health care in general. And we do have a lot of students that are already maybe working in health care while they're in their coursework. So I think it just reinforces to them the concepts, the language.

Again, it all comes back to building that confidence as you know these concepts and as you're experiencing them and learning about them, you can talk about them more. You can feel better suited to participate in the conversations that are going on. So I think that it really helps develop that confidence. The program is really about helping students just to adjust to the demands of college and the culture of healthcare.

They're really learning how to study effectively, manage their time, juggle their priorities. And these are all things that they're going to really need once they get into a fast-paced nursing program and then eventually into their clinical practice. So I think having that allied health background, the exposure to the academics is obviously so important in building their skillsets, but they're also learning all these skills that are really going to help them hit the ground running once they do enter.

that clinical and professional practice. healthcare is a very people-centered profession. So it's got lots of transferable skills in terms of communication and professionalism and critical thinking that are also embedded into our coursework as well. So I'd say, know, even though the AS degree doesn't lead directly to licensure, it really does lay us very strong foundation for students to succeed in their programs and then later on in their workplace.

Kathleen Stockham (15:08)

Yeah, and that was something that, in exploring a lot of this topic in preparation, for this broadcast, I love the fact that these students, as I mentioned earlier, can also pivot if they decide, you know what, I'm not really sure nursing's for me,

But it can really prepare them for other directions such as a physical therapist assistant, occupational therapist assistant, but they can also go into any of the imaging sciences

Maureen Lambert (15:32)

What's really also nice about the AS curriculum is that it suits students who may decide to change their program plan. So let's say a student starts out thinking they want to be a nurse, but then after exposing themselves to the health sciences curriculum, they might find that their passion really lies in physical therapy or imaging science, because again, they've had that exposure through these various courses. So they might

decide that they want to change, they may opt to apply to those programs instead and they still have those prerequisite courses under their belt. So they don't have to go back and take some different courses. They've already knocked out several of the prerequisites through doing the Associates of Science and Pre-Nursing program.

Kathleen Stockham (16:14)

Yeah, that's awesome. All right, so let's boil it down. What are your top three tips for students just getting started in general ed or a health science program?

Maureen Lambert (16:24)

Well, my very number one would be connect with your instructor. Again, I think that we maybe all of us had that one teacher that just intimidated us so much in our prior education that we've sort of been scared to ask the questions or ask for help. I would say that every single instructor at South College really wants their students to come to them with questions or to come to them and just say, I'm totally lost. I don't even know what my questions are.

We really want to support students. We really want to help them achieve their goals. We really want to help them succeed in the classes. So I would say put any kind of fear or intimidation you might have to the side and just know that your professor is waiting for you to come and ask them questions and really wants to get to know you on that level and have those conversations. I think next I would say.

connect with a friend, make some friends in your program. Whether it's an accountability partner or just a study buddy or a confidant that knows what you're going through, it can just be so helpful to have somebody that you can text or call that knows exactly what you're going through. I know when I was working through my doctorate, I had a colleague slash friend who

We were just constantly in communication with each other because we just needed somebody that spoke our language, that knew exactly what we were going through. And we have a lot of students that are taking courses purely online, but there's opportunities, I think, in our discussion forums to still build those connections and find students that might be in similar programs or the same program to connect with. And then...

I also say explore our tutoring opportunities. South College is really unique in that we offer a lot of tutoring from full-time faculty in so many subjects within general education and health sciences.

So our students can receive one-on-one individualized tutoring with an actual faculty member who is subject matter expert in the area, who knows exactly what the assignments are, who knows what's expected of the students, and they can meet with them one-on-one on Zoom or on Microsoft Teams. For students that are on campus, they can go into a local campus lab and get support from a tutor.

These are just great resources that, when we have students that utilize our tutoring, they tend to come back and they tend to have really good outcomes and really make improvements by getting that more individualized attention.

Kathleen Stockham (18:53)

Yeah, I love that and those are all really great suggestions and I think your point about having a buddy, a friend in class, I see it all the time and for a lot of our programs, a lot of our particularly our graduate programs at the DPT level and the PA level, these students are they're literally connected at the hip, they study together, they go out to dinner together, they get to know each other because to your point they are going through it with you. You have somebody

in the foxhole with you and I think that's awesome and what great advice. All right, so let's talk about you. What has been your pathway to South College and how did you get here?

Maureen Lambert (19:30)

I actually love this question. I talk about this a lot when I'm candidates for our department. I think that I'm kind of a South College success story, not to my own horn, but I started teaching as an adjunct actually at South College in 2017. I was teaching the dreaded evening four hour English composition class. And what I loved about it immediately was just

Having a very small class, really just felt like a community. The students were spending their days at work and then they would come in for four hours with me at night. And so we'd obviously have to have a lot of fun and keep each other moving. again, just very quickly, it just felt like such a good fit. And then I was lucky to have just a lot of doors open. I moved pretty quickly into a full-time faculty position at the Asheville campus.

in English and then a chair position and then got to move up into an associate dean position working more with the general education curriculum. So I just think South College has been such a great place to really offer opportunities. Even though we have multiple campuses, we are collaborating across them and I feel like some of my colleagues who may be at different campuses are.

just kind like my next door neighbors. I really get to know them so well, even though we don't spend a whole lot of time in person together. And I'm just really grateful of all the opportunities that have been open to me and just that South College has really given me such a place to grow and to learn and to continue to improve.

Kathleen Stockham (21:04)

that I feel like I should break out into the I like a good neighbor. ⁓ South College is there I think I'll get sued for that so no I won't do that. I love it. Well okay so another question for you what do you do in your spare time?

Maureen Lambert (21:07)

I that. ⁓

Oh, well, I'm a mom to two daughters who are 11 and 14. So most of my spare time is, taking them to soccer practice and orchestra practice and things like that. But when it gets to be selfish, I love to just stay home with a good book, trying new recipes, playing games. I live in Asheville, North Carolina. So there's plenty of outdoor activity right outside my door, which I really love about this area in Western North Carolina.

I will say that I'm getting to expand my passport this year. I've never been to Europe, but I have two trips, one to Spain and one to Greece in the coming year. So I'm really excited about that. Yeah, so trying to be a little bit more of an international traveler. We'll see what happens there.

Kathleen Stockham (22:00)

Wow.

⁓ That's awesome. Well, you're doing better than me. think my big trips planned are to like Florida.

Maureen Lambert (22:13)

That's fun too.

Kathleen Stockham (22:17)

Yeah, this girl doesn't like airplanes, so I try to just make it a drive trip anyway. All right, so a question I ask all of my guests, what kind of student were you in school?

Maureen Lambert (22:19)

Well, you hear me a lot talk about kind of seeking out your professor for help because I was not that student. was a student who did my work, but I was very intimidated to ever ask for help. I didn't raise my hand. I didn't participate a lot. I just sort of did the work and I don't think I really asked for as much help as I could have.

That changed a bit, you know, when I got further along into my education more as an adult learner and in my doctorate, I was a little bit more vocal, but I would say I was a pretty shy student all through high school and my bachelor's degree for sure.

Kathleen Stockham (23:05)

because you certainly don't seem shy. And if you've been teaching general ed and English, at all hours, basically evening classes and all the time and dealing with all these folks, you can't be shy. So I don't know if I accept that. ⁓

Maureen Lambert (23:18)

Well, I'm

telling you a lot changes and I tell this to my daughter, my 14 year old daughter who's right now already talking about where is she going to apply to college. just say you have to continue to put yourself out there and it has to be something that you're to do over and over and every time you do it, you're going to feel better about it. But I know when I was her age, I was, I was not quite there yet.

Kathleen Stockham (23:39)

Interesting. Well, then that's maturity and that's I love that that's actually a nice story of growth and maturity. That's a good thing. I love it. Well, there you have it plenty of advice and also a sneak peek into the gen ed and health science programs that are very popular here at South College.

taught by the not so shy Dr. Maureen Lambert. I want to thank my guest, Dean of General and Health Science Education, Dr. Maureen Lambert for her time on the podcast today.

Maureen Lambert (24:10)

thank you so much. It was really fun to be here.

Kathleen Stockham (24:13)

Yay! All right, coming up after the break, we'll dive deep into our OTA Occupational Therapist Assistant program here at South College with the senior chair of the entire program. The stick around will be right back.

[South College Radio Ad Spot]

Kathleen Stockham (26:06)

Welcome back. As part of our continued series on Circle of Excellence, I am pleased to welcome Senior Chair of OTA, Suzanne Chittom to the broadcast. Hi, Suzanne.

Suzanne Chittom (26:18)

Thank you so much for having me.

Kathleen Stockham (26:20)

well, thanks for being here. All right. So OTA is growing quickly at all of our campuses and I think it's time to shine a big old spotlight on this space. We talk a lot about PT, which is physical therapy and DPT, which is doctor of physical therapy and I've discussed OTD on this broadcast. But now it is time to put the spotlight on OTA, which is occupational therapist assistant. Tell us more about this program.

Suzanne Chittom (26:48)

Well, our program here at South College is 24 months, which is about eight quarters. So it is an accelerated program, two years once they graduate from the program, which includes didactic classroom instruction. We have lab instructions so that they are able to gain the competencies.

and skills that they need to go out and practice effectively. And then we also have a field work component to our program, but they are able to complete that within eight quarters. And we also have a hybrid component to our program, which is really beneficial for students because it allows

flexibility, they do not have to come to the campus, for every single class. All of our lecture-based courses are provided through an online format. It is synchronous where they are still collaborating and working with the instructor. However, they don't have to come in for class. However, all of our lab-based courses

they actually do come in for those because we want them to be able to practice and feel confident in their skills and be able to effectively practice those once they graduate.

Kathleen Stockham (28:12)

I love that. It's kind of best of both worlds. So, so neophytes like me tend to get PTA and OTA maybe a little bit confused. Can you explain the significant difference between the two professions, but also how they work together?

Suzanne Chittom (28:15)

Absolutely.

⁓ this is such a great question and one that I get so often. It's one that I actually, when I am talking with students and potential applicants and prospects, I try to really explain it in a way to help them best understand because occupation can be misleading. A lot of times we think

jobs. You know, what is your occupation? Is your job? Well, occupational therapy is not just about a person's job. It is about their daily living skills. Any occupation in their life that is meaningful to them is what we focus on. So with physical therapy assistant, they are really experts at building strength and, restoring mobility and

helping patients with balance and making sure that they can really move effectively and safely and they do such a great job with that. And then occupational therapy assistants, they actually simultaneously will work with those patients and they will reinforce the same things we do.

work on functional mobility and we make sure that they're safe and we work on strength and all of that. But we also look at the bigger picture. As I was saying, the occupations that they are engaged in. And as I mentioned, I try to help people understand by helping them,

having them reflect on what their occupations are. So we treat all the way from the pediatric population to the geriatric population. There is not one single age that we are not capable of treating,

So for example, if we have a group of students that are coming in, I always ask them, you know, what are the things that you enjoy doing? What do you, in your daily life, what's important to you? And of course I get answers like, well, you know, I like to play baseball or I like to play basketball or I like to run or I like to, play volleyball, different things like that, sports, yes.

And then I go a little bit further and I'm like, okay, well, what are some other things you enjoy doing? so do you use your phones? And they're like, well, yeah. that's a fine motor task. And that in itself is something that we would work on if they were unable to do that. If something happened and they were unable to perform that task.

maybe phone for, working on their phones for communication or the computer or different things like that. So with the pediatric setting, we have children with developmental delays, different things like practice handwriting, tying their shoes, sensory skills. A lot of children have sensory problems, so we help.

with the regulation of that. And that is all through play-based therapy. If you have, as I was mentioning before, students, young adults, teens, college students, we can help them with driving or executive functioning skills, being able to really just make a plan and carry that out to be successful.

You have maybe older adults that are retirement age. There are studies out there that show that individuals that are more active, it's directly related to wellness. So we try to, help them stay engaged in hobbies.

different community activities, volunteer work, anything that's important to them that they were doing before.

And another big thing is modifying the home so that they can stay in their home as long as possible because nobody wants to leave their home if they don't have to. And there are always adaptations that can be implemented to help them to stay within their natural environment, their home setting for a longer period of time.

Those are just a few of the things that we do with occupational therapy that we teach within the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program. And truly, PTA, OTA, all of the rehab disciplines really complement each other because we might be focusing on different things. However, we come together to help that person holistically.

to help them get back to their daily routines and get back to their lifestyles that they need to with occupational therapy. If they are unable to get back to that, if they have maybe a brain injury or a neurodegenerative condition, that they're gonna have decline with that, then that's where we can look at adaptive techniques to help them.

continue to be able to do the things that are important to them. yeah.

Kathleen Stockham (33:33)

Yeah, I love that. I mean, I love the fact that the students

can kind of find their niche between working with pediatrics or with geriatrics and that sounds amazing. So I have to ask this. We just shot a large video production which included OTA and included you. Were you nervous?

Suzanne Chittom (33:47)

Mm-hmm.

Yes

Kathleen Stockham (33:57)

Well, but were you nervous? mean, don't you?

Suzanne Chittom (34:01)

I'm sorry, I

didn't hear that. Was I nervous? Well, I will admit, I was a little bit nervous, But I really wanted to do justice with explaining the profession of occupational therapy and how amazing it is.

the unique role that it plays in helping people across the lifespan, engage in meaningful activities. And I just, really wanted that passion to come through. And I'm so proud to represent the South College OTA program because we do provide our students with such strong resources. We have hands-on labs, they have clinical experiences.

community service that they participate in. And it really helps them to be competent, confident and really successful as they begin practicing as occupational therapy assistants.

Kathleen Stockham (34:51)

Yeah.

Yeah, I love that. love that. So I have to ask what led you to OTA and what's been your journey to South College?

Suzanne Chittom (35:00)

Oh, absolutely. So, I've really, I've just always had a heart for helping others. And, you hear that a lot as far as, therapy. And, but I have, I've always just had a heart, wanting to help other people just to, enhance their lives or just, anything that I, possibly can. And I was really, really close to my grandmother growing up. And,

and I stayed with her lots and spent a lot of time with her. And as she aged, there were certain things that she couldn't do. And so she and I would just sit and problem solve, like, well, how can we make this easier? How can we do this? because, she wanted to stay in her home and that was so important to her. And so even at a very young age, I was already problem solving and thinking about ways, to help her and

I knew that I wanted to go into healthcare. of course, what you typically hear, nursing and, things like that, I was like, I don't really want to get into the blood and the, every, everything like that. I just want to, not that occupational therapy assistants aren't exposed to that, but,

You do not have to, draw blood and you don't do all that. So, however, I just knew that I wanted to do something, within that realm. And so I actually was doing some research with my mom and I read about occupational therapy and it was one of those aha moments of.

my goodness, I think this is something I could do and be happy with for the rest of my life. I genuinely think that this would be such a fulfilling career for me and I've never looked back. mean, 25 years later, I've never looked back. It has been, such an amazing opportunity and it's provided so many opportunities for me and the students that have graduated.

from the program and it's amazing to see that.

Kathleen Stockham (36:58)

Yeah, I love that. How'd you get to South College?

Suzanne Chittom (37:02)

So that's an interesting question. So I actually in 2005 developed a program, an occupational therapy assistant program. it was at a community college. And then in 2016, South College decided that they were going to start the Knoxville OTA program.

I was actually presented with the opportunity to join South College and help with the development of the OTA program here. And I've been here ever since, I absolutely love it. They are amazing as far as their students and I just really can't say enough about it.

At this time, I am over the Knoxville OTA program and I also oversee the Nashville OTA program and the Asheville North Carolina OTA program. So, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, just such a great opportunity and we've got such an amazing faculty team that cares so much about the students and

Kathleen Stockham (37:59)

Wow, I didn't know that. Cool.

Suzanne Chittom (38:11)

So it just couldn't be a better experience.

Kathleen Stockham (38:15)

I love that. I love that. All right. So what do you do in your spare time? If you have any?

Suzanne Chittom (38:20)

My spare time. ⁓ Well, I do do stay very busy, you know, with this role, but I absolutely love it. Of course, they always say that if you love something, it's never work. So it's something that, it's very fulfilling to me. But I do have three amazing children. Well, one is actually an adult and then two 17 year old twins. But

They are absolutely amazing. Family is so important to me. Just spending time with them and, cherishing that. And I have to admit, since moving here from Mississippi, the Tennessee mountains, you come for vacation, but like just to be able to wake up to the Tennessee mountains, every day is such a wonderful experience. And

have to admit I love the beach. So being outside and just enjoying that and traveling, new experiences, learning about new cultures, that sort of thing. I love it.

Kathleen Stockham (39:18)

I have to laugh

though. I was going to ask you where that accent comes from because we sound like twins. So you're from Mississippi. What part?

Suzanne Chittom (39:26)

Yes,

I am. am. So Houston, Mississippi, but I lived in Tupelo. So birthplace of Elvis. ⁓

Kathleen Stockham (39:33)

I know Tupelo very well. I have

two kids that went to Ole Miss, so I spent a lot of time on that road between Tupelo and Oxford. Know it well.

Suzanne Chittom (39:38)

my goodness! Absolutely, absolutely

love those rebs.

Kathleen Stockham (39:49)

I know, that's awesome.

Because like I said, I was trying to place the accent, like I said, we sent one for I am from Georgia, but both my kids went to Ole Miss. So like I said, I know that part of the country. Traveled those roads for six years, almost every weekend.

Suzanne Chittom (40:00)

Absolutely.

Wow,

wow, it's a wonderful call. It is, yes. So, but yes, from Mississippi to Tennessee and, you know, I'm just so thankful for the opportunities that, that I've had here and it's such a wonderful thing because, with this position, not only are you able to work directly with patients and see them progress and improve,

but you're able to multiply your efforts. And that's what I love about this because when you see those students go out and make such differences in these patients' lives and help them regain skills and get back to their daily living skills and occupations, it's just so fulfilling. And I've seen it makes such a difference also too with

so many students. got this two-year degree and are just, they're doing great, great things with it and helping people.

Kathleen Stockham (40:59)

Yeah.

I love that. So what kind student were you in school?

Suzanne Chittom (41:06)

Well, I was, I will admit, I was pretty type A. So I was the type of student that, not only did I take notes, and studied all the time, but it was such a passion for me that, I really enjoyed it. But I would even, this was definitely back in the day, but record the,

lectures and then a group of us, because they're three hour lectures, we would split them up and we would type them all out and read them. And then I would go back and write and everything else. But, and there were times I was like, especially in neuroscience, I was like, wow, this is, this is a bit overwhelming, but I always had such a great support system, my mom

was always uplifting me and I just, I'm so thankful, that I was able to do Washington University in St. Louis. So it was quite a culture shock going from Mississippi to St. Louis.

But at the same time, I learned so much. I think I learned a lot about myself in addition to the profession of occupational therapy. So.

Kathleen Stockham (42:13)

I love it. love it. OTA for the win. That's senior chair of OTA, Suzanne Chittom and my biscuit and bacon sister. Thanks for being my guest today.

Suzanne Chittom (42:22)

That's right.

Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

Kathleen Stockham (42:30)

Yay! All right. Well, that's going to wrap it up for us today with 10 campuses in seven states plus online and CBE. There's a pathway for you at South College. Hope you enjoyed this latest episode of Live from South College. The Live from South College podcast is a production from South College Marketing. Thanks for joining me. If you love it, give it some stars and you can always send us feedback by emailing us at southcollegepodcast.south.edu. Have an awesome day and let your dreams

find direction. See you next time!