![Jade Doherty, ACE Peer Mentor](/sites/default/files/styles/max_width_480px/public/spotlight/doherty2c_jade.jpg?itok=6J6QBHrT)
Name: Jade Doherty
Hometown: Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Major: Communication Sciences and Disorders
Graduation Year: 2021
Why be an ACE mentor? What attracted you towards the position?
What attracted me to this position is that as an ACE mentor, I would be able to help fellow wildcats in the same college as me learn more about what our university has to offer academically, the resources available to them, as well as help them adjust to their new college life as a freshman at UNH. This position is rewarding and by being a mentor, I am able to be a resource for my students to openly ask questions and give them insight with my own experiences at UNH and the CHHS.
Looking back on your time at UNH so far, what are you most proud of and why?
I am most proud of being a Dean’s List Scholar of High Honor. In high school, high grades would always come very easy to me. When I entered college, I was very discouraged with my academic abilities and felt like it was impossible to get the grades I wanted because of the demands college classes entailed that high school classes did not. I persisted and gave my all in my first year at the university, and I am so pleased that it paid off seen through being awarded a Dean’s List Scholar. This award gives me confidence that even though something may be challenging, give your all and it just might pay off!
Let's talk favorites: do you have a favorite course and/or professor? Why is the course or faculty person so great?
My favorite course I have taken at UNH is OT510, exploring occupational therapy and occupation, in the fall semester of my sophomore year. I love this course because it has sparked my passion to become an occupational therapist. The material is interesting and realistic, as everything we learn in the class will later be applied as an occupational therapist. I love the professor of the course because he brings the passion he has for occupational therapy to the classroom - it is seen through his realistic examples and advice he gives us that we can apply and take with us for the future.
What motivates you?
I am motivated by the small goals I set for myself throughout life. These can be academic goals, physical goals, social goals, or mental goals. Achieving these goals might be small, but when you look back on them, you can see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve achieved for your long term goals.
How is your experience at UNH preparing you to achieve your goals?
A huge long term goal for me is to become an occupational therapist. UNH is helping me prepare for this goal through courses and fieldwork that will prepare me for the field and allow me to earn a degree in occupational science. By pushing myself to be the best I can be during my time at UNH, I will be able to be the best occupational therapist I can be.
What are you planning to do after graduation?
My plan after I graduate with a Bachelors in occupational science is to obtain my Master’s Degree in occupational therapy. Then I’ll take the National Board Certification of Occupational Therapists examination in order to practice as a registered occupational therapist.
What do you love about UNH?
I love the opportunities that UNH offers students. These opportunities range from internships, work study, study abroad, leadership opportunities, club involvement, and community service. These opportunities create connections within the community and can help you feel involved and prepared for the future in whatever career you are going into. Personally, I love the opportunity UNH has given me to work with preschoolers at the on-campus Child Study and Development Center. I love working with children and I love how UNH has a place that I can go and be a part of a child’s development.