By: Ava Gibson
Dickinson High School Student
I have had the opportunity to do work-based learning with Expressions Pediatric Therapy. Mackenzie Woodworth is the owner of Expressions. She is originally from Spokane, WA. She moved to North Dakota in 2017, where she found a passion for working with children in an outpatient setting. Mackenzie is a Speech & Language Pathologist and an Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist. She opened her business in 2020 and has been thriving ever since.
At Expressions, there are four SLPs—Mackenzie, Tessa, Trisha, and Megan. There are two OTs—Ally and Jordyn. And there are two awesome office managers, Brooklyn and Savannah.
These amazing women have guided me and taught me so much about this profession. Every day that I go there, I am welcomed with open arms and smiling faces. You can tell that being at Expressions is more than just a job to them; they have created a work family there. Their work environment, attitudes, and encouragement are just a couple of the big things that pushed me to want to do what they do as my future career.
I first went to Expressions during my junior year through the Health Science 2 class. I walked into those doors on my first day with no clue what pediatric therapy even was. But, with some help from some lovely women, I was educated on so much. It opened my eyes to a new world of work. When I had the chance to choose a place to go shadow again for six months, I knew right away that I wanted to go back to Expressions. Now, after shadowing there for a year, I know that this is what I want to do as my career.
Every day looks different at Expressions. Whether I am with the OTs, helping kids improve their motor skills, or with the SLPs, seeing children strive every day and overcome their struggles with speech, I see so many achievements. One big thing for me was working with children with different disorders. I learned so much about many different disorders, but more importantly, I learned that every child has a story—and every story should be met with compassion. Every achievement, big or small, is met with celebration at Expressions. Their main purpose is to change lives for the better, and after shadowing them, I have noticed firsthand how much of a difference they make every day.
As of right now, I am graduating early and starting my college journey to becoming a pediatric occupational therapist. To me, this is not just a job—it is a calling. I am very blessed to know what I want to do at such a young age, and I couldn’t have done it without the support from the people at Expressions. They went into detail about everything they did in their jobs and educated me, even though they already have busy schedules. They did not have to let me shadow there, especially mentor me, but I am forever grateful that they did. These women changed my life and made me feel a sense of purpose being there.
I think the Work-Based Learning program is truly amazing. I originally wanted to go into nursing, but after shadowing at Expressions, it made me realize being an OT is what I was meant to do. I would not have been able to realize that without this program. I encourage every student to take advantage of these classes that really do give you a feel for what the “real world” feels like. Because if you’re like me, you may find yourself taking a career path in something you had no clue existed before the class.