Student Spotlight: Jonathan Legarte, School of Occupational Therapy
Like many of his classmates, Jonathan Legarte was drawn to the occupational therapy field because of a family member鈥檚 life-changing experience.
When he was 13, Legarte鈥檚 grandfather suffered a stroke. The debilitating event was an integral part of Legarte鈥檚 childhood and one that helped shape his future as an occupational therapy student.
鈥淭hat experience was a big driving force as to why I wanted to help people like my grandpa,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen a loved one goes through something like that, it impacts their entire family.鈥�
After graduating from San Francisco State University with an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology, the Hercules, Calif. native applied to 91制片厂鈥檚 School of Occupational Therapy. He was later accepted into the program and chose to attend, due in large part to the university鈥檚 welcoming environment.
鈥淔rom the moment I stepped foot on campus and interviewed with the faculty, I immediately felt comfortable,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 knew I would be coming to Touro.鈥�
As he continues to pursue his Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD), Legarte is thankful for the knowledge he鈥檚 acquired since making the decision to further his education. His faculty and fellow students, he added, have made his Touro experience much more enjoyable.
鈥淭hey keep you going through the difficult times. It doesn鈥檛 matter which program you鈥檙e in, this journey is going to be difficult,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what made me jump into the third year and pursue my doctorate. It wasn鈥檛 an easy decision to make, but I chose this route to better myself. I enjoy learning more and becoming a more well-rounded and educated person.鈥�
After he graduates in May, Legarte plans to stay in Southern Nevada and work with the older adult patient population.
鈥淲hen I volunteered before I even got into OT school, I would sit with patients and listen to their life stories and words of wisdom,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hose stories were important to them, and it was important for me to listen.鈥�
While he prefers to take the older adult population route, Legarte said he鈥檚 open to working in any different emerging field of occupational therapy. The beauty of the profession, he added, is that occupational therapy serves different populations across a wide variety of communities and settings.
He also wants to help bring more awareness to the profession, something he is all too familiar with.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know much about OT before witnessing it myself,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 chose this field because I saw the flexibility it had and the different populations we can tap into. OT just fit my personality.鈥�
Learn More About Touro Nevada's OT Program