Graduate Student Kyla Reed Receives American Occupational Therapy Foundation Scholarship

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Graduate Student Kyla Reed Receives American Occupational Therapy Foundation Scholarship

Kyla Reed, with long brown hair past her shoulders, wearing striped short sleeve shirt, stands in front of a brick wall and smiles.

"I think it’s a good reminder to take chances and to believe in yourself.”

The American Occupational Therapy Foundation has awarded Kyla Reed '26 its New York State Association Scholarship.

Presented in partnership with the New York State Occupational Therapy Association (NYSOTA), the highly competitive scholarship recognizes an occupational therapy graduate student who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement as well as active engagement and meaningful involvement within the professional association.

“I was excited and surprised,” Reed says of learning she had been selected for the scholarship. “I thought with all the people applying across the state there was no way. I think it’s a good reminder to take chances and to believe in yourself.”

Reed, of Lowville, New York, serves as a student delegate to the New York State Occupational Therapy Association (NYSOTA), representing her peers while engaging with leaders in the profession. This past spring, she completed a psychosocial fieldwork placement at Helio Health, where she gained hands-on experience providing care in a behavioral health setting serving individuals with substance abuse and mental health needs.

She is currently completing a fieldwork placement with Lewis County Health System's Home Health Agency.