RT Student Spotlight: Lindsay Plaster

Name: Lindsay Plaster

Degree & Graduation Year: B.S. Recreational Therapy, Class of 2022

Tell us about your hobbies and involvement at ECU?

I love to go to hockey games (go canes!), play with my dog, read, shop, and travel. At ECU I am involved in the Pirates for Down Syndrome Awareness club which focuses on advocating for different populations.

What brought you to ECU?

I came to ECU because of the reputation it has for its health care programs. I knew I would get a good education and I also really wanted to go to a school that was located in a “college town”.

Why do you want to enter the field of recreational therapy?

I want to be an RT because I want to play a role in motivating people to see beyond their injury or disability. Through work/ volunteer experiences, I have been able to see the positive effects that recreation has on people with disabilities and I want to help deliver that to others.

Tell us about your upcoming internship or where you hope to intern?

I will be interning at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA this summer. My position will be inpatient physical rehabilitation in the ABI unit.

What is your favorite aspect of recreational therapy?

I love that RT allows a lot of room for creativity and that through RT I can help people achieve things they didn’t think were necessarily possible for them.

Tell us about your favorite Rec Therapy course or professor(s)?

Dr. Eldridge has been my favorite professor in the RT department! She shared a lot of stories about her career in RT and introduced us to a number of different guest speakers during class who shared their personal journeys which really inspired me to get creative with what I want to do as an RT. My favorite RT class has been the adaptive sports course with Dr. Loy because adaptive sports is a huge interest and passion of mine so being able to take a class that focused on that alone was really fun (and I got to get my CARSS certification at the end which was a bonus!!).

What kind of setting or future job do you hope to have upon graduation?

After graduation, I hope to work in a hospital setting doing physical rehab! I am interested in working with young adults but I am open to anything. I would love to get a job at a facility that has an adaptive sports program.

Anything else you’d like to share about yourself or your passion for Rec Therapy?

I work in Greenville with a client as a Habilitation Technician which has helped me gain a lot of hands on experience! I have been able to use a lot of adaptive equipment and practice a lot of the skills that I have learned in class.