Alison Punnett had worked in fundraising, predominantly in Higher Education, for over 20 years. She spent the last eight and a half years working at Edinburgh Napier as Major Gifts Executive within the Development Office, before deciding to retrain.
“I was helping at Edinburgh graduations in July 2019 when I heard that I had been accepted onto the Occupational Therapy Masters Course. At that time completing my studies seemed like an impossibly long way off. Now, returning to the Usher Hall as a graduating student, with all my classmates, there is a tremendous feeling of celebration.”
Towards the end of her working career at Edinburgh Napier, Alison was ready for a change in direction but was struggling to decide what to do. Occupational Therapy was something Alison’s personal career coach had suggested early in the process, no idea what it was to begin with! After speaking with the Occupational Therapy Program Lead at Edinburgh Napier, she realised it was the career to pursue. Alison wanted to explore careers that would provide a new challenge, but still used some of the skills she had gained over the past two decades, p
"Returning to full time education after a gap of 25 years was more than a little daunting. When I completed my undergraduate degree, the internet was in its infancy and education delivery was far more formal than it is now."
When Covid-19 hit early on in Alison’s two-year programme, all teaching went online, proving to be another new challenge.
"Group collaborative working, class participation and accessing research resources online were all very new to me, but there was so much support available from lecturers, library staff and other students that I was able to find my way. We were a small class of 13 and there was always a sense of support and shared experience between us. It helped a lot with the sense of isolation that we all felt during lockdown."
conducted a large amount of research before she applied to do her Masters, Alison knew that there would be a world of work opportunities for her to choose from with Occupational Therapy.
"Occupational Therapy has a role in any environment where people experience challenges in doing the things that they need, want, or have to do."
Alison is currently working for NHS Lothian supporting adults with severe and enduring mental health conditions. This is Alison’s area of primary interest, and she feels that this role allows her to embed the learning from her course. She says, "It’s incredibly rewarding work."
“people are in good physical and mental health it’s very easy to take for granted the ability to lead a balanced and fulfilling life. What I love about occupational therapy is the role that it has in supporting people who are unwell to reconnect with the things, activities or identities that have meaning to them. The things that we do are intrinsic to our sense of self, and at its heart occupational therapy supports people to be themselves.”