After five years of occupational therapy (OT) work, Missouri State University alumna Caitlan Schasteen decided to become a student again.

A native of Paola, Kansas, she received her bachelor’s degree in child and family development and Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) from Missouri State in May 2017 and May 2019, respectively.

She is now pursuing her Post Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PP-OTD) and will graduate in May 2026.

“I would eventually like to teach at the doctoral level,” Schasteen said. “When you’re an OT student, you must do clinical rotations, and you do those for 12 weeks at different sites. I always enjoyed having students and getting to teach and educate them.”

Choosing to become a Bear

Schasteen grew up vacationing in the Ozarks and Branson, which influenced her decision to attend Missouri State. The Midwest Student Exchange Program, which offers an out-of-state tuition fee waiver, also made attending college more affordable for her.

While Schasteen was working on her bachelor’s degree, she was part of the student chapter of Habitat for Humanity for all four years. Besides that, she was a resident assistant (RA) for Wells House.

“As an RA, I loved getting to know so many different students and their personalities, and plan all the fun events,” she said.

During her master’s program, she participated in the Graduate Student Occupational Therapy Association, serving as president for one year, 2018-19.

According to Schasteen, the support she received at Missouri State contributed to her success.

“Missouri State does a great job engaging students and offering a wide variety of courses that inspire confidence in our decisions,” she said. “I’m very thankful for every academic advisor and staff I interacted with. I always felt their support and guidance in helping me grow as an individual.”

While Schasteen was pursuing her MOT, she was part of only the third cohort to complete the relatively new program. What she valued most was her professors’ willingness to take feedback, expand on subjects and try new and fun things.

Her fondness and respect for her professors drew her back to Missouri State for her PP-OTD, where she was again among the program’s first cohorts.

Why OT?

Before college, Schasteen worked in a psychiatric treatment facility where she was a lifeguard and pool manager.

“We’d swim and teach kids how to play and have fun, which inspired me to explore different ways of teaching them new things and engage them in occupations they find meaningful,” Schasteen said.

During summer 2019, Schasteen completed an outpatient therapy rotation at Ozark Medical Center in West Plains, Missouri. This fieldwork experience sparked her love for working with older adults.

“I really enjoyed engaging with my patients through activities that were meaningful to them and hearing all their stories of progress after working hard in therapy and at home, such as mowing the lawn again, returning to crocheting or opening a pill bottle on their own,” she said.

Working for AdventHealth

Schasteen currently works as an occupational therapist for all age groups at AdventHealth in Ottawa, Kansas, while completing her doctoral degree.

She joined AdventHealth in March 2020, and her experience has been a positive one.

“I have a very supportive team and truly without them, I wouldn’t be where I’m at with my doctorate,” she said.

This summer, she received the 2025 AdventHealth Ottawa Health Care Scholarship, sponsored by AdventHealth Ottawa volunteers. The scholarship is awarded annually to support students in Franklin County and/or those who are employees of AdventHealth Ottawa as they pursue health-related careers.

No two days are the same for Schasteen. Her work ranges from pediatrics to lymphedema therapy, and she values the variety most about her job.

In her five years in the workplace, Schasteen has learned many lessons.

“The biggest one is to be flexible. You never know what’s going to happen, but being willing to adapt, learn and grow from every experience truly helps,” she said.

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