"Jacklyn first found occupational therapy (OT) in high school after experience as a volunteer and then personally as an outpatient -- there seemed to be a door opening for her. She then pursued her degree at Towson University in Maryland and graduated in 2006 with her Bachelors and Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy. Since then her heart has been captured by the profession and the opportunities it has brought to connect with people of all ages, cultures, and parts of the world. Through her practice she has held on to a passion for traveling and continuing to learn, share, and cultivate all that comes with those experiences.
Currently, Jacklyn is specializing in feeding and swallowing at the Children’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Jacklyn participates on numerous multidisciplinary teams including the Swallowing Disorders Clinic, the Aerodigestive Clinic, and the Pediatric Oral Feeding Clinic. She is also working on program development for the Intensive Feeding Therapy Program in collaboration with colleagues from the speech department. Jackie has attended several feeding courses with Marsha Dunn Klein, OTR as well as the Fragile Infant Feeding Institute (FIFI), which is an intensive study of feeding and nutrition for infants with special needs, and is trained in Beckman Oral Motor assessment and intervention.
Jacklyn and Angie first met when Jacklyn joined the team of OTs at Kennedy Krieger Institute’s LEAP Program in Baltimore, Maryland. Since that time, they both have moved on to continue exploring opportunities within the profession while still holding on to some thing they had in common, traveling abroad. Angie to Romania and Jacklyn to Rwanda.
Jacklyn is so excited to go back to Africa with other OTs by her side! Her first time in Africa was in 2008, a solo trip to Rwanda that served as a way to learn in several environments (hospital, school, orphanage, and rural village) in exploration of needs expressed. It was truly transforming to find how quickly she felt connected with people clear across the globe and how collaborative occupational therapy enabled her to be. This was an amazing opportunity and she is confident Ethiopia will be as well! This is a dream that Angie and Jacklyn had of working together abroad since they shared an office in Baltimore back when Embrace was first starting up and the two were working together, years ago! Jacklyn has truly enjoyed learning from, working with, and having Angie as a friend. Now to walk through this next step of the journey with her will be a true honor."
-Written by Jackie
Likewise, working with Jackie will be a true honor. We have a strong team here, even if only three. I can't wait to see what happens when we put our head's together!
Love,
Angie
