10-15-2023 EDU - Flipbook - Page 7
The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, October 15, 2023 7
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
Earning a doctorate and chasing a
dream at Towson University
C
oming to Towson University was one of
the biggest risks of Meagan Downey’s
life.
She already had an extensive education, earning bachelor’s degrees in
biology and dance as well as a master’s degree in
environmental education.
Downey even had her dream job, working as
a program manager at Robinson Nature Center
in Columbia, Maryland. But after 10 years there,
another dream came true—she and her husband
had a son.
“I was working a lot of weekends,” Downey
says. “I was interested in doing something different so my schedule would align a bit more with
my son.”
One fateful day at the nature center, she was
working with a group called Leadership Howard
County, which brought in occupational therapists
to make the nature center is more accessible to
visitors on the autism spectrum.
“I found that project really cool and satisfying—removing barriers for people to do things
they might want to do,” Downey says. “I’d never
heard of occupational therapy. I started looking into it, taking the prerequisites and applied
to Towson University because it was the only
program in Maryland that has an entry-level
doctorate.”
Before taking the leap into TU's Entry-Level
Occupational Therapy Doctorate program, she
wanted to make sure the school was right for
her. So, she attended the Graduate Studies Open
House.
It was there she met occupational therapy
faculty members as well as students already in the
program. She even met a recent alum who was
doing nature-based occupational therapy.
Now, over a full year into the program,
Downey knows she made the right decision.
“I’m learning how to create splints for people,
different techniques for treating mental health,
coping mechanisms and stress management. It’s
been great for me,” Downey says. “My cohort [is a
group of] amazing people who have backgrounds
in health science, exercise science and health
promotion. So, I learn a lot from them as well.”
She’s also integrated into her new campus.
She currently works as a research assistant for
occupational therapy faculty member Amanda
Jozkowski and as a member of the Occupational
Therapy Student Advisory Board.
As she continues along her new career path,
Downey credits the help she’s received from the
faculty and her fellow cohort members for making her transition smoother.
“Having this support means I can realize my
dream,” Downey says. “Leaving a stable job was
a big risk. But I feel like Towson University has
given me nothing but support since I started”.
