UNCP’s First MSOT Cohort Completes Program, Prepares to Meet Growing Workforce Need

Eighteen UNC Pembroke students recently made history as the first cohort to complete the university’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program, preparing to enter a growing health care profession with significant workforce needs across southeastern North Carolina and beyond.

The inaugural cohort was recognized during a hooding and pinning ceremony at Upchurch Auditorium, where students celebrated alongside family members, friends, faculty and university administrators. They will officially graduate and have their degrees conferred during UNCP’s winter commencement in December.

The MSOT program, launched in 2022, earned full accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education in May 2026, receiving the maximum seven-year accreditation term.

“Seeing our first class complete the MSOT program is a significant milestone for UNC Pembroke and one we are incredibly proud to celebrate,” said Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings. “From the beginning, this program has been about preparing highly skilled professionals to meet a real and growing need in our region. These graduates are ready to make an immediate difference in the lives of the people and communities they serve, and their impact will be a powerful reflection of why this program was established at UNCP.”

Dr. Jose Rafols, founding director of the program, said watching the students receive their hoods represented the culmination of a vision that began years earlier.

“This is a rite of passage for them,” Rafols said. “Personally, I see validation, not just for the work I did, but for the whole OT team. We saw the vision. We knew we could do it, and we worked together toward this goal.”

Members of the inaugural cohort are entering a profession that Rafols said is particularly important to southeastern North Carolina, where occupational therapists are in high demand. Nationally, rural and underserved communities face some of the most significant occupational therapy workforce shortages, with some areas experiencing deficits of 25% to 40%.

That demand is already translating into opportunities for UNCP students. Rafols said some members of the inaugural cohort were approached about employment before completing their clinical rotations.

“They are becoming therapists in a region that needs so many occupational therapists,” Rafols said. “They will have an opportunity to make a lasting impact right away.”

The program was designed with that regional need in mind. Rafols anticipates that some graduates will remain in Robeson County and surrounding communities, helping address gaps in access to occupational therapy, while others will take their skills to communities throughout North Carolina and beyond.

Dr. Eva Skuka, dean of the College of Health Sciences, called the inaugural cohort pioneers who have helped establish the foundation for future MSOT students.

“The first class does more than earn a degree. It establishes a tradition. It shapes a culture. It creates a legacy,” Skuka said.

Among the students in the inaugural class is Mallory Haney, a native of Chapin, South Carolina, who competed on the track and field team while completing the MSOT program. Haney said her desire to become an occupational therapist stemmed from her passion for helping others regain independence.

“I’m always going out of my way to help others, and this profession allows me to help people regain their independence,” Haney said.

Haney said she understands the responsibility that comes with being among the program’s first cohort.

“It feels great. It feels like I am a pioneer for students to come,” she said. “I’m here for the new students coming in — to answer their questions, help guide the way and help them navigate the program.”

For Trinity Tyndal, the occasion was especially meaningful because her path to occupational therapy began at UNCP. A Fayetteville native, Tyndal earned her undergraduate degree in exercise and sport science in 2024 before entering the MSOT program.

“It feels good. It is kind of cool to set the path for the next cohort coming after us,” Tyndal said.

Tyndal’s interest in occupational therapy was shaped by watching her father recover from a back injury and seeing firsthand the role rehabilitation professionals played in his care.

“I said then that I would always want to do something like that … help people out,” she said.

Harrison Gore of Tabor City also returned to UNCP for the MSOT after earning his bachelor’s degree in biology in 2023. His interest in occupational therapy grew from his own experience receiving it after an elbow injury sustained while playing baseball in high school.

After initially considering a career in physical therapy, Gore said discovering UNCP was launching an occupational therapy program helped put him on the path toward his career.

“It was very educational. It made me realize that this is what I wanted to do,” Gore said.

Rafols said he watched members of the inaugural cohort grow in confidence and skill as they progressed through coursework, clinical experiences and fieldwork.

“We gave them agency to say, ‘You can do this. We are going to help you do this,’” Rafols said.

Interest in the program has grown quickly. Following the inaugural cohort of 18, the next MSOT cohort includes 28 students and is expected to be followed by a cohort of 30. The program already has a waiting list.

Rafols said longer-term possibilities could include exploring a post-professional doctoral program in occupational therapy, allowing UNCP to prepare not only clinicians but future leaders in the profession.

For Skuka, however, the significance of the inaugural class extends beyond enrollment growth and accreditation. The students are now ambassadors for a program they helped build.

“Because you are the first graduates of this program, you also become its ambassadors. Its foundation. Its legacy,” Skuka said. “Long after this ceremony ends, your work will help define what it means to be an occupational therapist educated at UNCP.”