At Cross Country Education we have the best of the best from across the country impacting the lives of students in the schools they serve every day. 

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    <p paraeid="{9de621eb-a968-4545-8fb8-97943cb78b1c}{170}" paraid="604104811">
      <strong
        >EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: PRISCILLA SON, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
        ASSISTANT</strong
      >
    </p>
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    <p
      paraeid="{9de621eb-a968-4545-8fb8-97943cb78b1c}{179}"
      paraid="1916606729"
    >
      At Cross Country Education we have the best of the best from across the
      country impacting the lives of students in the schools they serve every
      day. We take great pride in their shared passion for education, and we
      love passing along their words of wisdom, sage advice for those embarking
      on their careers, and great insight into the rewarding field of education.
    </p>
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    <p
      paraeid="{9de621eb-a968-4545-8fb8-97943cb78b1c}{213}"
      paraid="1033834098"
    >
      This week we want to celebrate Priscilla Son, Certified Occupational
      Therapy Assistant (COTA). Priscilla took some time to explain what has
      motivated her to become a school-based COTA and to offer advice for those
      just starting out.
    </p>
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    <p paraeid="{9de621eb-a968-4545-8fb8-97943cb78b1c}{231}" paraid="220705056">
      <strong
        >Why did you become a certified occupational therapy assistant (COTA)?
      </strong>
    </p>
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    <p
      paraeid="{9de621eb-a968-4545-8fb8-97943cb78b1c}{237}"
      paraid="1187174806"
    >
      I decided to become a COTA working with the pediatric population because
      of my love for children. During high school, I was an officer for a club
      called Best Buddies in which each student partnered with another student
      with a disability. That was when I met my partner, DK, who was nonverbal,
      wheelchair bound, and required a g-tube for all feeding. I remember
      thinking to myself, How can one live like this? At first, during my 9th
      grade year, I felt pity for him. But as the years went on, I realized DK
      had moved my heart from pity to whole-hearted compassion. I couldn&#39;t
      wait for Tuesdays and Thursdays to be with him as he carried on with his
      exercises and worked on improving his activities of daily living (ADL)
      skills. It wasn&#39;t because of passing time that made me feel
      differently toward DK, but because of his unwavering smile. Although he
      was nonverbal, he knew me as a friend and always waited for my arrival
      with a huge smile. I became a COTA so that I could continue to work with
      students like DK, to support them, teach them, and make an impact in their
      lives the way DK has had with mine to this day.
    </p>
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    <p paraeid="{b62d81f3-5460-4c6b-a1da-a205c0fa70d5}{26}" paraid="1008876503">
      <strong>What do you like about Cross Country Education? </strong>
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    <p paraeid="{b62d81f3-5460-4c6b-a1da-a205c0fa70d5}{36}" paraid="140407708">
      I love the support I receive from the Cross Country Education team,
      especially from my supervisor, Dahlie, and lead, Abby, who is always
      following up on me. Before working for Cross Country Education, I had not
      received the amount of supervision and support I desired. Not only is the
      Cross Country Education team supportive, but they are genuinely kind and
      knowledgeable. I sense the deep passion they have for the field, and this
      motivates me to strive harder. I am a COTA who is completely new to
      school-based OT, and Dahlie has taught me patiently, one step at a time. I
      am thankful for the team for being so understanding despite my
      shortcomings.
    </p>
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    <p paraeid="{b62d81f3-5460-4c6b-a1da-a205c0fa70d5}{96}" paraid="713419932">
      <strong
        >What kind of advice would you give to those starting out in your field?
      </strong>
    </p>
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    <p
      paraeid="{b62d81f3-5460-4c6b-a1da-a205c0fa70d5}{102}"
      paraid="2143126917"
    >
      Since occupational therapy is all about task analysis, whether serving in
      pediatric or geriatric populations, my advice to those starting out in
      this field is to never be content with your current skill level, but to
      look for more ways to learn, stay creative, and enjoy every part of it! My
      advice for a school-based OT is that being organized and having strong
      documentation is critical, and this is something I am still working on.
    </p>
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    <p paraeid="{b62d81f3-5460-4c6b-a1da-a205c0fa70d5}{140}" paraid="549443506">
      Thank you, Priscilla, for all you do! We are grateful to have you as a
      part of the Cross Country Education team!
    </p>
  </div>

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    <p
      paraeid="{b62d81f3-5460-4c6b-a1da-a205c0fa70d5}{152}"
      paraid="1197426268"
    >
      <a
        href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/home"
        rel="noreferrer noopener"
        target="_blank"
        >Cross Country Education</a
      > is educator-led, student-driven and solutions-oriented. With over 50
      years of combined dedicated expertise, we service the education industry
      exclusively. Focusing our knowledge and resources on engaging with and
      understanding educational organizations, industry trends, and leadership
      needs, we provide a wide range of services to our educational partners to
      meet their individual needs including special education and substitute
      services. We specialize in substitute teacher and instructional
      assistants, special education service providers, healthcare staff, early
      childhood education teachers, educator search services, consultation, and
      trainings. Cross Country Education, formerly DirectEd and Mediscan, is
      part of the <a
        href="https://www.crosscountryhealthcare.com/about-us"
        rel="noreferrer noopener"
        target="_blank"
        >Cross Country Healthcare</a
      > family, one of the leading healthcare and education staffing companies
      in the nation.
    </p>
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    <p paraeid="{b62d81f3-5460-4c6b-a1da-a205c0fa70d5}{176}" paraid="756746041">
      <a
        href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/contact-us"
        rel="noreferrer noopener"
        target="_blank"
        >Contact us</a
      > today to discover how our experienced team of talent professionals at
      Cross Country Education can deliver solutions for your educational
      staffing needs.
    </p>
  </div>
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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: PRISCILLA SON, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT