A doctorate 10 years in the making
After a change of plans, Lauren Schifter ’18 is ready to join TU’s occupational therapy doctoral program
By Kyle Hobstetter on June 1, 2021
Lauren Schifter ’18, and her brother Aaron were always attached at the hip. Born just 10 months apart, they have a special bond.
Growing up in Old Bridge, New Jersey, Lauren didn’t have the typical afterschool routine. Wherever her brother went, so did she. That’s because Aaron is on the autism spectrum and has been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette’s Syndrome.
Instead of joining clubs and hanging out with friends, Lauren went to doctor’s appointments and therapy sessions, did homework in waiting rooms and ate dinner in the backseat of the car.
But she would watch the occupational therapists work their “creativity and magic” on her brother and saw Aaron’s progress.
That’s how she found what she wanted to be when she grew up. At 14 years old, she knew she wanted to go into occupational therapy.
“The creativity, the amount of fun and how much they brought out of him was amazing,” Schifter remembers. “The most application I saw from his therapy at home came from occupational therapy. That is something that stuck with me and was something I wanted to do for others.”
As she was finishing high school, Lauren looked for a college that would help her live her dreams. In 2011, she came across Towson University.
“TU is a top-ranked school in the country for occupational therapy,” Lauren says. “It’s a great program, a great framework, I meet the eligibility requirements and it’s not too far and it’s not too close to home. Plus, the campus was beautiful, and I felt like I would fit right in.”
She was accepted to TU and ready to start in the fall 2013 term. But the summer before she left for college, her grandmother died. With her leaving for college and the loss of her grandmother, the family had trouble coping.
Lauren admits that she struggled freshman year. She didn’t get into the OT program, and her family insisted that she move back to New Jersey.
“Dealing with the grief and loss of my grandmother on top of my family's weight on my shoulders of experiencing that loss and grief with me, it took a toll on my academics,” Lauren says. “I was traveling home every weekend to meet their needs when I wasn't really meeting my academic needs and also my personal mental needs.”
After her freshmen year, Lauren still felt like Towson University was the place for her. So, she switched her major to special education. And while the change added a few years to her time at TU, she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 2018.
In 2019, she earned her post-baccalaureate certification in autism studies at TU. Then this past spring, she earned another post-baccalaureate certification in clinician-administrative transition.
She did all this while working at the Hussman Center for Adults with Autism, helping with the Friday Night Social Group, and as a graduate assistant in the Office of Sorority & Fraternity Life.
Through her connections in Greek Life, she got a position at the Kennedy Kreiger Institute, first as a clinical assistant and then as an employment training specialist who helps facilitate the training and integration of individuals with disabilities at their place of employment.
While she admits this wasn’t the path she initially envisioned, Lauren is thankful that TU helped her find a way to help those who with special needs.
“Towson University has prepared me in so many ways: personally, academically and professionally,” she says. “The number of resources and the staff support throughout my bachelor's experience, it was fantastic. Not only did my TU faculty set me up for success, they helped me see all the opportunities that were out there.”
And she’s had plenty of professional success. In 2019, Lauren shared her experience during the TedxTowson event, giving a presentation titled “Don’t Dis’ My Ability.” Also in 2019, she was honored by the state of Maryland with a Governor’s Citation for Outstanding Direct Support Professionals.
But her mind always came back to occupational therapy. So, this summer she is coming back to TU for her fourth and final degree: a doctorate in OT.
It’s the next step for her long-term goal of opening a private therapy practice—housing physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology in one office—and starting a nonprofit autism advocacy network.
“This was a 10-year dream,” Schifter says. “It was a goal I was expecting to reach in 2014, but it took so much longer. So many times I wanted to give up, and there were points where my parents asked me what is my ‘Plan B’ option. But when I got that email that said I was accepted to the doctoral program…it was breathtaking.”
While her parents still sometimes bring up the idea of Lauren moving back to New Jersey, they understand how important her work at TU and in Maryland has been.
“I think they finally realize how much of an impact I have on the disability community of Maryland,” Lauren says. “Although I do not identify with a disability, I am a huge advocate, and I will forever advocate for that community. My family is fully supportive of me and my journey here and appreciate the effort I put in here. So it’s only right to stay and give back as much as possible.”