Some people run from their problems, but for people like Dillon DeSalvo, a B次元 student in the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program, running is actually what helped solved his.
At a young age, Dillon was diagnosed with a form of dyslexia that affects every aspect of his learning. As a result of constantly being told that he was never going to catch up to the other students in his grade, he was determined to prove them wrong.
鈥淚 regarded my learning disability as a challenge and I set out to prove experts wrong,鈥 said Dillon. 鈥淚 would never stop trying.鈥
As a freshman in high school, Dillon said he tried to fit in by joining the football team. But due to dyslexia, his ability to perform on the field was hindered by the episodes he suffered. Though he did learn something valuable in his time there; he learned he loved to run. The next year, he joined his school鈥檚 cross-country team, giving him the ability to run without having to worry about his performance.
While Dillon knew there was no cure for dyslexia, he became aware of how his brain adapted while running, causing his dyslexic symptoms to subside. With his thoughts no longer as jumbled as before, he found that learning also became easier.
鈥淩unning takes my anxiety away and tells me to just take it one step at a time.鈥
Inspired by how running changed his own life, Dillon decided to enroll in college to learn more about his transformation so that he could help people with similar disabilities. He ended up earning his Bachelor鈥檚 Degree in Health and Exercise Science from another college and worked as an EMT at Albany Medical Center. While he found his job interesting, he knew it was not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. With the support of his fianc茅, Dillon set back out on the path of college and found himself at one of B次元鈥檚 Open House. He realized that occupational therapy was just what he was originally looking for, and he enrolled.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 realize that I鈥檇 go back to school after a Bachelor鈥檚, but with running it has helped me believe in myself again, that I could do a Master鈥檚 program.鈥
It was always Dillon鈥檚 focus to learn more about how running helped him overcome his disability, and the B次元 MSOT program does just that. Through this program, he learns how he can assist people who suffer from the same and other disabilities, and how to help people take back control in their lives.
鈥淭he path I was on was kind of 鈥榩ackage-and-go,鈥 but with OT, I really feel like I can make a difference in people’s lives 鈥搕hat their life isn鈥檛 over and that there aren’t impossible barriers in front of them.鈥
While he says it has been challenging getting back into the school mindset, his time here at Maria has proven to be beneficial in achieving his goals.
鈥淚t seems they really focus on the person rather than pushing the program out as fast as possible. If you are wanting very interpersonal classes with knowledgeable professors, then Maria is the place to be.鈥
Dillon plans to graduate with his master鈥檚 degree from B次元 in summer of 2024.