Makenzie Smith didn’t always plan to attend East Tennessee State University, let alone spend seven years here.
In fact, she once swore she wouldn’t.
“My big sister Maisie went to ETSU, and I swore I wouldn’t go here and be under the shadow of my sister,” Smith said with a laugh. “But then I quickly realized I wanted to follow in her footsteps.”
On Saturday, May 9, Smith will close out her time at ETSU by crossing the Commencement stage with her Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree, a milestone marking the end of a long journey and the start of a new chapter in a profession she said “clicked immediately” for her.
Smith, a Johnson City native, came to ETSU’s College of Health Sciences as an undergraduate student in 2019, knowing she wanted to go into a profession where she could help others.
That calling, she said, started at home.
“My late grandmother had a traumatic brain injury, and my late great-grandmother had Alzheimer’s,” said Smith. “Growing up, I saw them going to physical and occupational therapists and started seeing the meaningful impact those professions can have on patients. That short time I had with them led me to a helping profession,” she continued.
When Smith arrived at ETSU in 2019, the university’s occupational therapy program had not yet launched, with the first students entering in 2022. But Smith began her undergraduate journey on a rehabilitative health track, trusting that she would find the right fit.
By the end of her junior year, she said, she knew the path her life would take, thanks to a tip from her academic adviser, who informed her of the soon-to-launch program.
“I started shadowing my junior year, got a feel for it and the rest is history,” said Smith. “It just clicked immediately.”
When Smith graduates Saturday, she’ll do so as a member of the second-ever cohort to graduate from the occupational therapy program. She described being part of one of the first classes as deeply meaningful, noting how tight-knit their cohort is.
“My cohort, we walked in kind of like strangers,” Smith said. “We came out as family.”
It’s that connectedness – and support – that’s helped her succeed in her time at ETSU.
“I’ve had a lot of support from my partner, my friends, my family, my faculty,” said Smith. “It’s been difficult, but it’s not been too hard to manage being in school with the support system I have.”
Smith, a first-generation graduate, credited her family for paving the way for her to be successful. Her younger cousin, Mikayla, will also soon graduate from the ETSU College of Nursing later this year – an event Smith is looking forward to attending as an alumna.
“I am proud to say that I will still be around as an alum and will be back in December supporting my cousin at her commencement ceremony,” said Smith.
On campus, Smith has immersed herself in student life, building relationships that have shaped who she is today. Among the highlights, she said, were experiences in Costa Rica with the Interprofessional Education Program, as a campus Expedition Leader and member of Sigma Kappa sorority, as well as opportunities to work with the women’s basketball team and in the Mary V. Jordan Center.
As she prepares to graduate and take her board exams, Smith said she feels prepared for her next chapter, crediting her hands-on, community-engaged learning experiences as a key part of that confidence.
“Application-based and hands-on learning is essential for me to really retain information,” she said. “I really feel like ETSU has done such a good job at providing those opportunities, and without that, I wouldn’t be as confident as I am today.”
Smith teared up as she reflected on her academic journey, noting her desire to make her family, her hometown and university proud. And though Smith has not finalized her post-graduate plans, one thing is for certain.
“This will always be home,” said Smith.
To learn more or apply to the ETSU College of Health Sciences, visit etsu.edu/chs/.
