Ortiz-Jimenez, Karina 1

Karina Ortiz-Jimenez

Mrs. J. Snyder/J. Robidoux

Senior Capstone - Final Draft

April 19, 2021

The Neverending Process of Life

I always knew what I, Karina Ortiz-Jimenez, wanted to do, which was to become a nurse,

but then my junior year came around. I had my life planned out, get good grades throughout my

high school years, graduate, and pursue a career in Nursing. I was considered the nurse of my

friend group, always being prepared for anything. I never thought about anything else. But then,

doubts started to fill my brain slowly. Was it something I truly wanted to pursue or was it

because it was the first thought that came to my mind about the medical field? Was it due to the

reason of making my parents proud? Was it indeed my dream career that I hoped to work in for

the rest of my life? Well, I am an overthinking person, and I was lost, and I did not want to admit

it.

I am a first-generation soon-to-be college student in a family of eight, yet growing up in a

large household taught me many things. I was born on August 4, 2003, the seventh child in line,

with the other six siblings before me. I was warned about the do and don’ts of life, thankfully. I

primarily depended on my siblings because my parents did not understand many things as their

first language is Spanish, and there were many cultural barriers. It made me become independent

from an early age and break away from being unsure of asking for help from my siblings,

teachers, parents, anyone. And from a young age, I have tried my best to help others in need

because I knew how it felt to feel hopeless and thinking no one can answer your questions. This
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thought process made me think about the many careers I could have, but once I stumbled upon

Occupational Therapy and the many ways it can help children, I had found my dream career.

My ultimate goal for my career is to become an Occupational Therapist Assistant

working with children in either a hospital or an elementary school. Working with children was

not my first plan; I never really thought about working with children or any Rehabilitation and

Therapy occupation until this year. Volunteering made me realize my interest in helping/aiding

children in a therapeutic way to gain essential skills and life independence and made me

re-evaluate how I felt as a child while in school. Such as the difficulties I went through for a

while in elementary, afraid of asking questions, and instead, I kept quiet and struggled.

Fortunately, I broke through that barrier at a young age, but it made me realize many children do

not have a safe space to ask questions; or a public space they feel comfortable in, especially in

low-income areas, there can be a vast of problems that can pertain to the family reflecting off of

the child such as behavioral or mental health issues. Within these communities, such as mine, I

hope to infiltrate a creative and attentive way for children to express themselves positively.

I plan to achieve my future path to becoming an Occupational Therapy Assistant by

attending Grand Rapids Community College, majoring in Health Sciences. Then, after two years,

I obtain my Associate’s Degree and soon be off to working with children in either a hospital or

an elementary school. I am mainly seeking to work in an elementary school and use the many

ways Occupational Therapy can be utilized in schools, such as physical activity, music, and art

therapy. After a few years of getting experience and learning, I hope to return to school to

become a Recreational Therapist. It will take me roughly seven years to accomplish this career.

If I believe it is not the time or I am not ready to enter post-secondary education, I most likely
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will take a gap year. Though I do not see that happening, I genuinely do not know, so I am

opening up to the many possibilities my future holds for me.

After overthinking and unsure of what my career will look like a year ago, I have found

what I am looking forward to in the future. I have found what I can honestly see myself doing in

the future and enjoying every bit of the learning progress my career holds. After reflecting on my

childhood, as well as my community, I believe having effective therapy programs will greatly

benefit children in our community. I know where my career leads me to; it leads me to be proud

of what I will learn in the future and the many opportunities I get to have with Occupational

Therapy.