• Carlisle, Pa.
• Occupational Therapy Major
• Performance Music
• President’s Alumni Liaison
• Resident Assistant

When choosing a university, Casey considered dozens and visited 10. She chose Scranton for two outstanding reasons: the accredited Occupational Therapy program and the french fries in the cafeteria. Scranton satisfied Casey’s hunger for knowledge, a caring community… and a great order of fries.

A Welcoming Environment

“I remember coming here and thinking to myself, ‘These are people who love being here.’ Everyone was so welcoming; it was real,” she says.

Like many freshmen, Casey thought she knew exactly what she “wanted to do forever,” but she lacked a cause – something she felt passionate about. We challenged and changed her. Casey jumped at the opportunity to volunteer with our Jane Kopas Women’s Center.

“Their enthusiasm is contagious,” says Casey of the volunteers. “The things we’re doing have a message and an effect,” she says of events like Take Back the Night, a rally that calls for an end to sexual violence. 

Adding a Resident Assistant position to her list of life experiences, Casey trained for and ran a half marathon at the request of students in her residence hall, something she would never have imagined doing in high school.

A Summer Camp Experience that Change Everything

Casey had always imagined herself working with young children until a summer camp experience changed everything. After her freshman year, she worked as a counselor for children and adults with physical disabilities at Camp Oakhurst, New Jersey. Ashley, a 17 year-old girl with Muscular Dystrophy, had been spending summers at the camp since she was seven. While the progression of her disease left her unable to push other campers around in wheelchairs, she was determined to stay involved. She became an arts and crafts counselor.

“She found a way to do what she wanted to do in the face of so much,” Casey recalls. “She taught me so much.”

It's All About the Experience

Camp Oakhurst helped Casey realize her passion for working with adults with disabilities. That belief was solidified back at Scranton. “I continue to meet people like Ashley all the time through work in our Leahy Clinic for the Uninsured.”

 For Casey Holladay, it’s all about the experience. Sometimes, that means turning a challenge into an opportunity. Other times, it’s just doing what you like to do, even if you aren’t especially good at it (though she usually is).

At Scranton, she has thrived in our supportive environment. “The faculty, staff … everyone ... they’re here for you and they want you to do well. You get to shine.”

The french fries aren’t too bad, either.