MY OCCUPATIONAL IDENTITYRebecca Lickfold

AIKIDOAikido has helped to shape my occupational identity, as I spend a large portion of my time practicing. I have been training for 18 months, and I am currently training for approximately six to eight hours per week. Through aikido, I have met people and have participated in a range of occupations I would otherwise not have been exposed to.

I started playing squash three months ago. Squash has become a part of my occupational identity, as it is one of my main extra curricular activities. I play for two to three hours a week.

SQUASH

PIANO

Playing piano has contributed to my occupational identity because I have been playing for a total of 10 years. I took piano lessons for 7 years, and still play regularly today. Piano gives me a creative outlet, and is mentally satisfying. I enjoy the challenge of having to coordinate my fingers in specific patterns to produce different songs, and I find playing piano is very relaxing.

FAMILYFamily is a large part of my occupational identity, as my parents and brother influence the occupations I engage in. My parents have instilled their values in me, and everything I do is affected by my values and morals.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

Working towards being an occupational therapist is my main occupation. I spend the majority of my time studying, and I am in my second year of a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree. Upon completing the degree, I will be a registered occupational therapist. Being an occupational therapist is very important to me, as it will be my career. Studying occupational therapy has changed the way I look at occupations and my general outlook on the world. My idea of occupational identities has been shaped by studying occupation, and I have learned the value of performing occupations.

I am friends with several different groups of people, including the aikido people. Aikido brings a variety of people of all different ages and backgrounds together and gives them a common purpose over which to bond. Through practicing aikido, I have met several unique people who have introduced me to a multitude of occupations I now incorporate into my occupational identity.

FRIEND

My friends from high school are important to my occupational identity, as we have been friends for a very long time. We have formed a close group, and all have similar hobbies and interests. Being friends with these people has helped to shape my occupational identity, as I spend a lot of my free time with these people and they influence the occupations I choose to engage in.

FRIEND

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY STUDENT

Being an occupational therapy student is key to my occupational identity, as I primarily identify myself as a student. I spend approximately 40 hours a week studying, and these are the people I study with. Studying occupational therapy has connected me with a range of people, and I have met people I would not have met otherwise.

TEACHERTeaching is a part of my occupational identity, as I naturally enjoy educating others on subjects I know a lot about. I began teaching piano lessons three months ago, and I now have three students. I have been playing piano for 10 years, however, teaching from the basics is a new and interesting path I have chosen. I enjoy the challenge of having to break down my knowledge into basic information that a beginner can understand, and watching my students grow and accomplish playing songs they never believed they would play. Teaching is a very rewarding occupation, and I value it very highly.

DELI WORKERBeing a deli worker contributes to my occupational identity, as I work regularly. I spend every Sunday working in the Delicatessen at New World, and this is important to me as working means earning money. I then use that money to engage in other more leisurely occupations, which also help to shape my occupational identity. Working provides a way to continue with other occupations I enjoy.