Brooke Kane briefly thought her dream of playing Division I soccer might be over before her college career even began. Recruiting during COVID felt uncertain, schools stopped calling, and she briefly committed elsewhere before Temple suddenly reopened a spot on the roster the very next day. Kane did not hesitate.

“I was like, ‘I’ll take it,’” she said with a laugh. “It felt like everything worked out the way it was supposed to.”

A few years later, Kane is preparing to graduate from Temple’s Occupational Therapy doctorate program after juggling Division I soccer, doctoral coursework, clinical rotations, and a graduate assistantship with Temple Athletics. Somewhere along the way, the Northeast Philadelphia native also discovered a version of herself she did not fully expect.

“I learned a lot about being flexible and open minded,” Kane said. “Nothing really went exactly the way I thought it would, but it all helped me grow.”

Kane’s path toward occupational therapy started early. Her father is an OT, and she grew up fascinated by the tools and therapy equipment he brought home from work.

“A lot of people don’t really know what occupational therapy is,” she said. “But I always thought my dad had the coolest job ever.”

While shadowing outpatient clinics during undergrad confirmed she was in the right field, it was Temple’s community-focused approach to occupational therapy that helped shape her long-term goals. During a clinical rotation in a school setting, Kane realized how much she connected with children and the relationships built over time in educational settings.

“You really get to see their progress and build that therapeutic bond,” she said. “That was really meaningful to me.”

Even with years of experience as a student athlete, Kane admitted she was nervous about managing the demands of doctoral coursework while continuing to compete for Temple Women’s Soccer. She credits her teammates, professors, coaches, and fellow OT students for helping her succeed.

“I was so scared,” she said. “I really wanted to do both, but you don’t hear about a lot of people doing it.”

“I always felt like I had a team wherever I went,” Kane added.

That sense of teamwork continues to shape how she sees leadership, both on the field and in healthcare.

“Being a leader means putting others first and doing what’s best for the group,” she said.

As Kane prepares for clinical placements in Delaware and begins thinking about her future in pediatric occupational therapy, she says Temple helped reinforce the kind of practitioner she wants to become.

“Temple really cares about people,” she said. “That’s something I’ll carry with me forever.”