From Patient to Practitioner: Seton Hall Occupational Therapy Student Leads With Purpose

"Be bold, be brave, be you." That’s the frequent advice offered by LaMar Bolden, DPS, OTR, CNS, assistant professor in Seton Hall’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (M.S.O.T.) program. Her words are a simple but enthusiastic reminder for M.S.O.T. students to be authentic and fearless as they prepare for careers in occupational therapy.

Sean Miele, who will graduate from the M.S.O.T. program this May, has embraced that mindset every step of the way — sharpening his clinical skills and building his confidence as a patient advocate.

While an undergraduate at Monmouth University, Miele volunteered as an emergency medical technician. After earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and medical laboratory science, he worked as a medical technologist for six years. While he found the work rewarding, he said that he eventually decided it was time to pursue a career “where I could work hands-on and make a difference in people’s lives.”

It was a childhood experience with occupational therapy that inspired Miele to pursue the field.

“I needed occupational therapy for a variety of issues, including tying shoes, managing a backpack, socializing, emotional regulation and following a schedule, to name a few," he shared. "Without therapy, I know I wouldn’t be the highly functioning independent person I am today.”

At Seton Hall, Miele quickly became an active member of the Student Occupational Therapy Association, serving as the program’s student representative to the New Jersey Occupational Therapy Association. In that role, he collaborated with fellow students and association members to advocate for the profession. His commitment to research and education also led him to present at the association’s 2024 annual conference in November.

Advocating for Inclusive Exercise Programs

Miele’s conference presentation, “Promoting Exercise for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,” highlighted the importance of physical activity for individuals with disabilities and recapped research results he co-authored with fellow students in Seton Hall’s M.S.O.T. program. 

As part of the program’s curriculum requirements, all M.S.O.T. students develop community advocacy projects aimed at improving the health and well-being of underserved populations. Miele and his classmates partnered with a special needs community in Warren, New Jersey, that provides residential and day programs for adults with disabilities.

The team developed a karate-based exercise program to encourage movement and promote wellness among the community members. “Individuals with disabilities require the same amount of exercise (as everyone else), but they are not getting nearly enough,” Miele explained. The student team wanted to create a fun, safe and accessible way to encourage movement — and karate provided an ideal solution.

The project required a lot of research to demonstrate the benefits of karate for their clients. The student team also took on planning every aspect of the project — from securing a site to structuring the karate sessions with individualized modifications for participants with disabilities.

While the process presented challenges, Miele found it rewarding to watch the clients improve, ask questions and have fun during each session.

Developing his Professional Skills

Miele’s initiative to present at the conference was no surprise to Bolden, who noted that Miele was highly involved as the student representative.

“Sean’s attendance at New Jersey Occupational Therapy Association events undoubtedly motivated him to contribute this presentation to occupational therapy practitioners and students across the state,” Bolden noted. “We are very proud of his advocacy work.”

Reflecting on his time at Seton Hall, Miele credits the program’s emphasis on public speaking with building his confidence, referring to a class he completed in his first semester that developed his presentation skills.

Looking Ahead

After graduation, Miele plans to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam and begin his career in a rehabilitation setting that is cognition-focused.

He developed a passion for cognitive rehabilitation during a clinical fieldwork experience with individuals recovering from traumatic brain injuries. Fieldwork is a required component of Seton Hall’s M.S.O.T. program, providing students with real-world training in a range of healthcare settings.

In the cognition rehabilitation setting, he sees the same clients consistently,  "building a strong therapeutic relationship,” Miele said. The setting also allows for more focus on broader occupations like home and finance management — not just the activities of daily living.

“In cognition rehab, each day is a little different,” Miele noted. “For example, one client I work with has trouble sequencing, so we use cooking, a meaningful hobby of theirs, to improve this skill by following a recipe.”

His long-term goal is to open a multidisciplinary rehabilitation clinic and eventually start a nonprofit organization focused on making occupational therapy services more accessible — echoing his professor’s reminder to bring enthusiasm and bold ideas to his occupational therapy career.

About Seton Hall’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program

Consistently recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top program of its kind, Seton Hall’s two-year, 64-credit M.S.O.T. degree combines state-of-the-art classroom facilities with clinical experiences in more than 300 healthcare and educational settings across the tri-state area.

Learn more about Seton Hall’s M.S.O.T. program and its 3+2 dual degree (B.A./M.S.) program.

Categories: Health and Medicine