Chioma Lindo: Professor and Leader
Chioma Lindo, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy (OT) was born in Jamaica but raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Her parents ensured her childhood was infused with Jamaican culture, and she was well exposed to many other cultures.
Chioma earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Windsor in Ontario. At the time, she felt so much of the work was research-based and did not provide enough interaction with people, a component she missed. A relative who was an OT exposed her to the profession, and so began her interest in it as a career. She attended D’Youville College in Buffalo, New York, earning a Bachelor and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy.
Wanting to try a new place, she decided to make Ohio her new home, eventually working as a clinical OT at Kettering Health Dayton and Kettering Health Miamisburg. She loves the variety being an OT brings, and the client-centered nature that allows the OT to be a creative problem-solver. As a teacher, her aim is to instill creativity, hands-on skills, and empathy in her students, so their patients/clients can enjoy life to the fullest.
Chioma is also the author of a children’s book called Beautiful Me. She wrote it for her daughter to celebrate the characteristics that make one beautiful, including and beyond physical features. She says she wanted children to understand the definition of beauty applies to them as much as it applies to others and remind them that the differences are equally as beautiful. With the encouragement of family, she self-published the book, which is available from Amazon and Braughler Books.
As for Black History Month, Chioma says she understands why the month exists. She explained the need to celebrate the people and contributions of marginalized groups when their stories have been pushed to the background in education, the workplace, and the community. She adds she understands and appreciates why the month exists, and she hopes we can move beyond a celebration of groups to a single month.
She says that reducing the celebration of a group of people may be a sign that the country is still not ready to see and acknowledge all people who have made up the fabric of this country.
Until that day exists, she says we need to celebrate and recognize Black History Month because sometimes it’s people’s only experience in diversity, and that might be the opening they need to become curious and want to learn more.
Alumnus Spotlight: OTD Graduate Greg Parker
Greg graduated from Kettering College’s occupational therapy doctoral program in 2018 and is now working at an inpatient rehab facility in El Paso, Texas as a travel occupational therapist.
He says he loves his career, and it has been a blessing from all aspects of his life. He has had the privilege of working for four years in various states, cities, and facilities. He says it has allowed him to expand his perspective and pushed him to better himself as a clinician and person.
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