Recreational Therapy Student Spotlight: Allison

Name: Allison Davis  

Degree & Graduation Year: BS Recreational Therapy, class of 2024 with a minor in Psychology. 

Tell us about your hobbies and involvement at ECU? 

Honors College: I am a Chancellor’s Fellow in the Honors College class of 2025!  The Honors College is such a great opportunity to be a part of, as they provide a sense of community, the ability to network and make great connections, and the chance to get a head-start on research.     

RTSS Secretary: I am the Secretary for the Recreational Therapy Student Society for 2023. RTSS gives us the chance to develop relationships with the RT faculty, promote professional development, and get to know and connect with our peers.  It has been extremely rewarding so far and I cannot wait for all the things we have planned!    

Working at Joyner Library:  I work at Joyner Library on campus, and I highly suggest on-campus jobs as a way to make money while you’re in school!  They are super flexible and work around your class schedule! Working at the library has taught me so many skills and helped me make so many connections with people who work at ECU that I wouldn’t have met otherwise.   

PeeDee’s Sensory Trailer: I was recently added to an amazing group of engineers who are creating a sensory trailer for individuals with sensory processing disorders that will be available at various ECU events.  I am so excited to be a part of this project and help them with the sensory aspects and application of the trailer!    

Outside of ECU: Working at Greenville Recreation and Parks:  I also work for Greenville Recreation and Parks as a Specialized Recreation Program Leader.  Most of what I do there is helping lead Special Olympic programming and other special events for individuals with learning and developmental disabilities.  It is the best, most rewarding job I have ever had, and it has helped me realize that working with these individuals is 100% what I want to do as a career!  

What brought you to ECU? 

Deciding to come to ECU was such an easy decision for me!  I grew up in Wilson, NC, so I came to ECU’s campus for various field trips and other events, and my mom graduated from ECU.  I have always had a love for ECU, and coming here has been one of the best decisions I have ever made!  Roll Pirates! 

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

At first, I thought I wanted to be an Occupational Therapist and was just getting my undergraduate degree in Recreational Therapy, but the more I learned about it and the more classes I took at ECU, the more I realized how much I love the field and want to stay in it.  I love how there are so many different populations and settings RTs can work in, and that no matter which population/setting you choose, you will be helping people.  Recreational Therapy is so fun, but ultimately we are helping people reach their goals and regain functioning, which is so rewarding.   

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

My internship won’t be until next summer, but some of the places I am looking into are the Caswell Developmental Center in Kinston and various hospitals throughout North Carolina.  

What is your favorite aspect of recreational therapy? 

This question is so hard!  I think my favorite aspect is probably that RT is a person-first profession.  We get to help people going through so many various stages of life and struggles, and hopefully help them remember and regain the ability to do the things they enjoy. 

Tell us about your favorite rec.therapy course or professor(s)?  

So far, my favorite (and probably hardest) class has been Clinical Assessment and Measurement with Dr. Loy.  The lab portion of the class was super fun and informative, as we got to actually practice the concepts we were learning in real-life scenarios.  I have already learned so much from Dr. Loy, and he is such a great mentor to have! 

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

After graduation, I hope to continue my education and get my Master’s in Recreation Sciences here at ECU.  I am still not sure exactly what setting I want to work in, but I know I love the intellectual/developmental disabilities population!