Meet Our Spring Interns!
This spring, GiGi’s Playhouse Canton is excited to welcome three interns whose shared passion for pediatric care, occupational therapy, and inclusive community support will enrich programs across the Playhouse. Though each is at a different stage in their professional journey, Maria, Tori, and Jaeden are united by a commitment to learning, collaboration, and empowering individuals with Down syndrome to reach their fullest potential.
Maria joins the Playhouse as a senior at Walsh University, where she is majoring in Exercise Science with a pre-occupational therapy focus. She will continue her education this fall as a graduate student in Walsh’s Occupational Therapy master’s program. Maria brings a strong interest in child development and a natural creativity that shines through her hobbies, which include coloring, crafting, and reading. Outside of academics, she coaches gymnastics at a local gym in Medina, Ohio. Maria is eager to apply her academic knowledge in a hands-on setting and is enthusiastic about growing alongside the families and participants at GiGi’s Playhouse this semester.
Tori, a third-year Doctoral Occupational Therapy student at Slippery Rock University, is completing her doctoral capstone project at GiGi’s Playhouse Canton this spring. Originally from the Akron–Canton area, Tori also earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Slippery Rock, giving her a strong foundation in both behavioral science and occupational therapy practice. Her capstone project focuses on educating volunteer tutors about sensory integration and practical strategies that can be incorporated into tutoring sessions to support regulation, attention, and readiness to learn. In addition, Tori will work to equip families with home-based sensory strategies and a deeper understanding of how the sensory system impacts the body. Her work aims to create lasting, sustainable impact by strengthening both volunteer confidence and family support beyond the Playhouse walls.
Jaeden is completing the final semester of the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program at Stark State College and is beginning a clinical rotation at GiGi’s Playhouse Canton. With a strong interest in sensory-based approaches and pediatric care, Jaeden is eager to gain hands-on experience in an outpatient setting while developing clinical and therapeutic skills. Throughout the rotation, Jaeden hopes to build confidence in working with pediatric clients, particularly in redirecting and supporting children in ways that are engaging, respectful, and developmentally appropriate. Outside of the clinical setting, Jaeden enjoys reading and music and was actively involved in theatre prior to college, all experiences that inform a creative and expressive approach to therapeutic interaction.
Together, Maria, Tori, and Jaeden represent the next generation of occupational therapy professionals. GiGi’s Playhouse Canton is grateful for the energy, curiosity, and care they bring to the Playhouse this spring and looks forward to the meaningful impact they will have on participants, families, and the broader community. Make sure you stop in and say hello!
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