Mission
The Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) is a national, non-profit organization that is open to all occupational therapy students enrolled in occupational therapy accredited programs.
The mission of SOTA is to promote the value of occupational therapy services to the public and other healthcare professionals and enhance the quality of the students’ educational experience through local and national advocacy, community service, and professional development.
At RUSH University, SOTA is a very active organization. SOTA participates in a wide variety of activities to serve the local community, advocate for occupational therapy, and raise funds to support underserved communities and occupational therapy initiatives. Below are some of SOTA’s recent activities:
- Health Professionals Job Fair: Each year, SOTA hosts the RUSH University Health Professionals Job Fair. The fair provides a rare opportunity to connect RUSH University College of Health Sciences students with prospective employers. A variety of professions are represented at the fair: occupational therapy, audiology, medical laboratory science, respiratory care, speech and language pathology, health systems management, clinical nutrition, and nursing. SOTA donates proceeds to occupational therapy initiatives. For vendor registration information, please contact Ricardo D. Ramirez (ricardo_ramirez@rush.edu)
- Adopt-a-Family: Each year, SOTA participates in the RUSH Adopt-a-Family Program that is hosted by the Office of Community Health Equity and Engagement. This past year, SOTA raised money for two families in need during the holiday season. They were able to spread holiday cheer to these families by raising over $2,000 in donations.
- Girl Scout Partnership: SOTA recently collaborated with the Girl Scout Troop of Easterseals Academy, Troop 25226. As the first troop in Illinois to be composed of all female students with disabilities, SOTA is grateful to partner with Troop 25226 as they were started by an occupational therapist. This year, the Troop will use their funds for a Build-a-Bear workshop retreat.
- Bunco Fundraising Night: Each fall, SOTA organizes a night full of fun and games at a local restaurant to host a Bunco tournament. All proceeds benefit the various organizations that SOTA supports.
- St. Catherine’s Challenge: The St. Catherine Challenge is a student-led initiative to build the profession of occupational therapy through raising funds for Intervention Research Grants in support of the American Occupational Therapy Foundation’s mission. Occupational therapy schools across the nation take on the challenge, create their own fundraisers, engage their communities in the effort, and come together at the annual AOTA conference to cheer on the cause. Each year, RUSH University joins the St. Catherine’s challenge.
Contact Information
Class of 2026
- President: Joshua Noriega
- Faculty Advisor: Ricardo D. Ramirez, OTD, OTR/L, QMHP, Instructor