April 13, 2022

Student Spotlight: Q&A with Kate Joyce, Master of Occupational Therapy Class of 2022

We're getting to know students from every program at the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Submit your own details for Student Spotlight consideration by filling out our brief form.

Q: What three words best describe you?

A: Funny, compassionate, intelligent.

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

A: As a wife, mother, pet owner, adult child of aging parents, owner of an old house and full-time grad student, there isn’t much free time to be found. (Does showering count?) Mostly I try to weave what is most important to me into the fabric of my day. Taking a study break to play with my daughter, taking my dog out for long daily walks and pairing those walks with a friend whenever I can, making time for my husband and I to talk about our day, working in the garden, and baking tasty treats or cooking dinner for family and friends are all ways I merge needs with wants.

Q: Why did you choose Wayne State University?

A: I became interested in the Master of Occupational Therapy program at WSU in 2018 as my family and I prepared to move cross-country from California to Michigan. I knew we were moving to Ferndale so I started researching programs that were close. WSU Applebaum, with its well-established and highly regarded MOT program so close to home, was a perfect fit.

Q: Why did you choose occupational therapy?

A: OT represents a career change for me. My professional experience spans over 20 years, when I worked as a professional dancer, massage therapist and yoga instructor in the San Francisco Bay Area. For years I have been searching for a profession that merges my various talents and interests, exploring many avenues but never landing on the “just right” fit. I am thrilled to have found the field of OT. The practicality, creativity and versatility in the administration of client-centered care assure me that I will find fulfillment for the next 20 years (and beyond) of my career.

Q: Share a recent accomplishment that made you proud of yourself.

A: I started grad school in my 40s!

Q: What are your career aspirations?

A: My career aspirations have stayed the same for decades: To offer compassionate care, to help people feel at home in their bodies, and to convey the message that a client is not a problem that needs to be solved but a person who needs to be known. Wherever the setting I find myself, whatever the population I work with, these aspirations will remain constant.

An occupational therapist helps patients engage in everyday activities that are important to them, using a variety of productive and creative activities. The WSU Applebaum Master of Occupational Therapy program application cycle runs from Aug. 1-Nov. 1, with classes starting the following May. Learn more by attending a college information meeting, held for prospective students at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month.

An anchor in urban health care

The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is built on more than 100 years of tradition and innovation in the heart of Detroit. We have grown deep roots in our city, harnessing its powerhouse hospital systems and community service organizations as vibrant, real-world training grounds for students, with an ongoing focus on social justice in health care. And our research at all levels – from undergraduates to veteran faculty members – translates into creative solutions for healthier communities.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering approximately 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 25,000 students.

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