Board, Auditors and Office

What is the main achievement of your career in OT? Two main achievements so far: (1) Contributing to the knowledge on how to support older adults to engage in daily activities that involve the use of digital technology; and (2) Contributing to the education and professional development of occupational therapists for more than a decade.

What I have to offer to ENOTHE? Commitment to serve and fresh ideas inspired by multiprofessional and multicultural collaborations, pedagogical interests, and experiences as an occupational therapist, educator, international contact person, program manager, and researcher.

What are your dreams concerning the future of ENOTHE? I would like ENOTHE to be a reliable resource and hub for occupational therapy educators in Europe where they could share and test their ideas on pedagogics and content in occupational therapy education in all three education cycles. I would also like to see ENOTHE as a leading network for establishing collaborations and building partnerships to address current and emerging issues relating to occupational therapy and sustainable health and welfare through education.

What is the main achievement of your career in OT? Some main achievements in recent years: 1) Becoming a president of Lithuanian Occupational therapists association at the support of most of the OT members, 2) Taking a role of ENOTHE board. Also creating sensory integration curriculum in childhood trauma care field. I believe it is important to have OTs in different fields, because occupational therapy has a power to see a person from varies angles and see the need behind the behaviour.

What I have to offer to ENOTHE? Lots of ideas and inspirations from different practical and educational fields of Occupational therapy in Lithuania. Also experiences as an occupational therapist, lecturer and more then 5 years being as a board member of Lithuanian Occupational therapy association. I have skills in organising events, working in different professional, multidisciplinary, educational and research teams. Moreover, I am willing to share my knowledge in childhood trauma, relational trauma, sensory integration and attachment fields.

What are your dreams concerning the future of ENOTHE? To support and make ENOTHE a place where knowledge can inspire all members and OT education communities internationally. Creating a space for OT educators in Europe to share their knowledge and experience. Also to have a secure base where everyone could be seen, heard and understood.

What is the most important achievement of your career in occupational therapy? It is very important to me that in the context of the healthcare service, occupational therapy is perceived as a profession that can make an important contribution to people’s health – holistically. To be able to do this, occupational therapy has to reflect the current spirit of the times already in higher education. Higher education should create a safe environment for the development of (self-)critical thinking and a basis for high-quality occupational therapy. The co-development of a documentation tool for occupational therapy therefore represents a special cornerstone in my career because it combines these two important aspects to teach occupational therapy skills to students and enhance occupational therapy skills on a lifelong learning basis.

What do I have to offer ENOTHE? Working as an international coordinator and having a research focus on inclusion, I am very aware of the different cultures and life situations in different countries. The ability to first listen to everyone involved and then support them in a way that is sustainable and appropriate for the people involved is my greatest strength and something I would like to bring to the table. In both teaching and research, I am always interested in working at eye level and creating synergies. I believe that this type of collaboration creates good starting points for working towards ENOTHE’s strategic goals and I am therefore very much looking forward to the challenges ahead.

What are your dreams for the future of ENOTHE? For me, ENOTHE is already making an important contribution to bringing together a wide range of OTs. This networking is the basis for the development of joint projects in teaching, long-term partnerships between universities and provides a sustainable basis for a critical discussion of OT as a profession and its teaching. I appreciate this open atmosphere, which creates a lot of space for reflection and interaction in which we can expand and jointly develop solutions for the future of occupational therapy.

What is the main achievement of your career in OT? Involvement in the national association and now ENOTHE and the opportunity to promote quality in occupational therapy education. Working in education, it is always an achievement for me to accompany students on their journey and to see them become great therapists, who stand up for important issues and shaping the occupational therapy of tomorrow.

What I have to offer to ENOTHE? My pedagogical and therapeutic knowledge, especially in the field of practice education. My curiosity, enthusiasm for new subjects and willingness to learn something new. Listening to others, taking their ideas and adding to them. And also, my ability to look for practical solutions to any kind of problem.

What are your dreams concerning the future of ENOTHE? I want ENOTHE to be a strong network that can respond to the different situations and needs of its members. In view of the current political situation in Europe and worldwide, it should be a unifying force that supports occupational therapists in addressing societal issues and changes together.

What is the main achievement of your career in OT? I have been lucky to work in different roles and also in different contexts. Now very happy in this senior lecturer and head of programme position in our university. But there is lot of highlights achievements together with clients when reaching their individual meaningful goals.

What I have to offer to ENOTHE? I have strong background working in various roles in association so I know this volunteer based working quite well. I also have worked as an OT over 20 years and have wide view what kind of skills are need in OT field now and in the future.

What are your dreams concerning the future of ENOTHE? More active and visible discussions in many levels about future of our profession and how education is one main key to find all emerging roles and areas. ENOTHE is regognized as a important international partner for education organizations. With more members we can have stronger voice for OT and for educational aspects in this rapidly changing world.

What is the main achievement of your career in OT? My main achievements in my career in OT, is building rapport between OT practitioners and the OT Programme I work at, building and advancing the curriculum of the programme via the re-validation procedure and establishing the placement network with stakeholders for the OT programme.

What do I have to offer to ENOTHE? I am a hard-working and enthusiastic person, with a lot of ideas and dreams for the OT profession and the OT community. My involvement and focus in OT education for the last eleven years has given me experiences that I’d love to share with colleagues across Europe. I’m also a team-player, therefore I love the idea of have to work in a team of excellent colleagues from different backgrounds.

What are your dreams concerning the future of ENOTHE? Being elected as a board member of ENOTHE is an honour for me. My dream for the future of ENOTHE is to foster stronger collaboration among occupational therapy educators, researchers, and practitioners across Europe, ensuring that our field remains innovative, inclusive, and impactful. I envision ENOTHE as a leader in promoting educational excellence and advancing occupational justice, empowering the next generation of therapists to meet the diverse needs of our communities.

What is the main achievement of your career in OT? Throughout my still ongoing journey to become an occupational therapist I have had the pleasure of being involved in the organisation of the International Occupational Therapy Students Congress or Congreso Internacional de Estudiantes de Terapia Ocupacional (CIETO) since year one of my Occupational Therapy Bachelor’s program, becoming a board member of said congress’ organising team by year two. On the internationalisation side of this journey, I was able to take on the opportunity to join the SPOTeurope’s board as Social Media Lead, and followed by that, I have now joined the ENOTHE board as Student Board Member. I also had the opportunity to participate in the 27th ENOTHE Annual Meeting by presenting, along Occupational Therapy (OT) professionals, the workshop with the title “Sharing experiences in organizing an ENOTHE Student Summer School responsive to society”, as well as presenting the SPOT pitch.

What do I have to offer to ENOTHE? My proactiveness in the field of student representation, participation and networking in the context of OT higher education at an international level, influenced by my cultural background from Spain and the United States (US); as well as the knowledge I was able to absorb from my previous role in SPOTeurope as Social Media Lead and my role in CIETO’s board as the designated person to establish sponsorships.

What are your dreams concerning the future of ENOTHE? Serving as a student representative within the ENOTHE board to me comes with the goal to feasibly contribute both to the professional’s perspective and career guidance of OT students and new grads by contributing to projects or partaking in partnerships with organisations such as OT Europe, and of course further cultivating the partnership between SPOTeurope and ENOTHE. In the line of internationalisation, a dream that we are slowly working to achieve is to host and participate in international events where we students can participate in the networking and support each other in our journeys to become OT professionals in an interconnected world.