RT Student Spotlight: Demetrius Mauney

Name: Demetrius Mauney

Degree & Graduation Year: B.S. Recreational Therapy, with a minor in Parks and Recreation, class of 2023.

Tell us about your hobbies and involvement at ECU?

I enjoy playing football, painting, listening to music I recently got a record player and I love listening to vinyl records. I love traveling and trying new foods. I also collect old school cars and enjoy working out.

What brought you to ECU?

I was originally committed to Purdue to play football but I decommitted to be closer to home and ensure my great grandparents who both raised me would be able to see me play ball and get an education. To make the long story short coach Houston offered me at James Madison University to play ball and surprisingly after receiving a scholarship from JMU. Coach Houston was offered a job opportunity here at ECU. And three days after arrival at East Carolina University coach Houston and his staff offered me to come play for him here.

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

At a young age I began taking care of my great grandparents. So I always had a lending hand and a care-taker spirt. In high school I was fortunate to be apart of the nursing and fundamentals program and became a certified nursing assistant. And while interning as a CNA, I was able to experience many different medical profession setting which lead me up to striving to receive a degree as a certified recreational therapist.

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

Currently, I am still searching for an internship for my recreational therapy degree. But I do have some places in mind locally here in Greenville, NC.

What is your favorite aspect of recreational therapy?

My favorite aspect of recreational therapy is the the progress during the process. And the social interaction while using leisure activities to help clients build confidence wether cognitively or physically is really fulfilling.

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

I had Dr. Loy for three courses last semester and really enjoyed it. My favorite course I took with him was RCTX 3255 lab because it was a more hands experience. Learning how to document a variety of progress notes and facilitate interventions

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

I envision myself owning my own recreational fitness facility that is extremely adaptive in use. So that any age groups, ranging from geriatrics to young adolescents, can come to maintain fitness or get attentive help and support, while also considering if the clients have cognitive or physical disorders.

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

I want to give a special shout out to my great grandparents for raising me into the young man I am today built on faith. Without the two of them I don’t know where I would be today. They always told me when I was young to always follow my heart, stay grounded on faith and learn everything I can and I can be anything I want to be and I just want to make them proud.