Work Application e-Portfolio

Spencer Morris

Occupational Therapy Major Diane Boehm e-Portfolio Award

Spencer Morris, of Flushing, Michigan, is enrolled in SVSU’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (OT) program. He transferred to SVSU in Fall 2017 after a year at Davenport University, and he received his bachelor of science in rehabilitation medicine from SVSU in May 2021. He has a variety of interests in the world of OT practice including mental health, pediatrics, and assistive technology. Before graduating in December 2022, he will engage in his Level Two fieldwork at MyMichigan Clare Outpatient (in Clare, Michigan)and then at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry (in Saline, Michigan). Spencer believes this portfolio would never have been constructed without the support and opportunities afforded to him through SVSU and its OT program, and he is truly thankful to be selected as a Boehm winner.

The intended audience for this work application e-Portfolio includes hiring committee members who are overseeing occupational therapy positions. Spencer hopes this portfolio is a display of his personality and values, his accomplishments and experiences, and the benefits he would bring to a company. This portfolio seeks to be a harmonious balance of its essential elements, which, for him, are the sections of “Education,” “Professional Skills,” “Professional Development,” “Professional Presentations & Publications,” “Service,” and “Expressions of Support ”

Spencer believes his e-Portfolio is thorough yet simple and straightforward. For example, although the course descriptions contain long passages of text, they articulate the learning process that helped him become an occupational therapist. Spencer also argues that each portfolio section is well supported by multiple experiences and/or pieces of information. For example, “Education” includes degrees earned, his G.P.A., and course descriptions, and “Professional Skills” highlights Student Occupational Therapy Association [SOTA] participation, OT workshops, and multiple healthcare training opportunities. Similarly, “Professional Presentations & Publications” highlights a paper that won him an SVSU Braun Award for Excellence in Writing at the graduate level and his presentation of a capstone research project at the 2022 SVSU SOTA conference. Moreover, Spencer adds, “Personal elements, including pictures, meaningful quotes, values, and professional goals, pair well with the foundation of OT because it is a client-centered profession that considers the individual.”

Convenience, Spencer maintains, is also central to this e-Portfolio. At the top of the portfolio and in the footer, Spencer provides his name and contact information. As a convenience to potential employers, when they click on his name in either place, this returns them to the home page. Additionally, clicking on his email address, in both the header and footer, sends readers into their email apps. For prospective employers, each section of the portfolio also has a button labeled “View Full Resume” that will provide a PDF version of that document. Hover icons are also utilized throughout the portfolio. In both his undergraduate and graduate career, he has participated in many trainings, educational workshops, and experiences. Each experience is validated with certificates that appear when one hovers over the related icon.

Spencer recognizes that the biggest challenge in constructing this professional portfolio was creating and keeping records of his experiences, but he appreciates that changes and updates to an e-Portfolio can easily be completed. He intends to continue to utilize and update the portfolio throughout his career as an occupational therapist.

Spencer’s portfolio can be found at https://sgmorris.wixsite.com/spencermorris.