Where Are They Now: Emily Jollota, MS ‘17, OTR/L

While studying for an undergraduate degree in Rehabilitation and Human Services at Penn State, Emily Jollota’s, MS ‘17, OTR/L, little sister suffered a concussion playing high school sports for which she received occupational therapy (OT).

While witnessing that experience firsthand, something clicked for Jollota.

“I learned more about the (OT) career and then I started shadowing some OTs,” said Jollota, who graduated from Penn State in 2015. “I decided that was definitely what I wanted to do.”

That led her to the Salus University OT program. Originally from Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, Salus was close to home. But more importantly, when she visited Salus, Jollota fell in love with the place.

"I liked the interview process where we actually got to tour the program and speak with a lot of the professors, which was nice, it felt very personable,” she said. “And, I liked the smaller feel of the school itself.”

During her Level 2 fieldwork at Salus, Jollota spent time at the Breastfeeding Resource Center in Philadelphia, which helped form her career path even more.

“I ended up really loving that aspect, the pediatrics side of it and the feeding aspect of it,” she said. “That’s what pushed me into pediatrics. I had come to Salus thinking I was going to work with adults, but that pediatrics fieldwork was a huge game changer for me.”

Before graduating from Salus in 2017, Jollota completed her fieldwork placements, first at the Breastfeeding Resource Center and then at a pediatric outpatient therapy center at a hospital in Savannah, Georgia. After graduating, Jollota ended up returning to Savannah, where her husband Sean was stationed in the military, and secured a job in pediatric outpatient therapy, specializing in feeding therapy, where she worked for three years.

When Sean completed his military assignments, the couple moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where he could pursue his PhD in medical physics and she secured a job in an outpatient pediatric clinic.

There, Jollota started as an OT, then progressed into the lead OT role and eventually supervisor of the OT team. In September 2023, she was named assistant director of clinical services at the clinic, Aspire Therapy and Development Services.

In a short time, Jollota has helped develop a feeding program and a strong fieldwork and clinical educator program at the facility that accepts OT, physical therapy (PT), and speech-language pathology (SLP) students. That means Jollota could eventually serve as a preceptor for Salus students as well as medical residents who want to complete a rotation at the clinic.

“It’s a huge passion of mine to have developed this program and luckily I’m at a clinic that sees the benefits of it for years to come,” she said.

Jollota said her Salus experience prepared her for what she’s doing now and will do in the future. “It felt like I left really prepared for whatever I was going to dive into as a new graduate. Of course, you’re always learning, but I didn’t feel like I was lost. The Salus program was very thorough,” she said. “There are not big gaps in my knowledge.”

When she’s not being an OT, Jollota likes to spend time with Sean and their son, two-year-old Luke. In addition to experiencing parenthood, the family likes to travel and explore some of the Midwestern sites. Although the Midwest isn’t a place she anticipated living and the cold Wisconsin winters aren’t ideal, she said, the family has taken to the area as a great place to raise a family.

When Jollota reflects on her time at Salus, she can’t help but remember it as a “really great experience.”

“Grad school is really stressful a lot of the time for people, and feeling like you’re fully supported as you’re learning a career was really helpful,” she said. “I left with everything I needed and felt very well prepared for the boards that I took. And, it’s been nice to stay connected to the people there.”