Army life helped grad on path to doctorate degree

It was during her stint in the U.S. Army serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom that Veronica Villalobos Smith picked up valuable life lessons of discipline, resilience and the importance of service.

And they are qualities that served her well when she came back and resumed a life that included being a mother of three and returning to school.

Smith earned a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy this spring from TWU’s Dallas campus.

She chose Texas Woman’s to pursue undergraduate and doctoral degrees partly because of the university’s strong reputation, but also because she wanted a program that would challenge her and help shape her into the clinician and leader she aspires to be – not just for herself but for her three children.

Quickly, Smith found a community of mentors at TWU — incredible faculty who believed in her to help her succeed.

“They didn’t just teach me, they walked beside me,” Smith said. “TWU became the village that helped me carry my dream.”

Her journey into occupational therapy began as an OT assistant, where she saw firsthand the incredible power of the profession to transform lives. She hopes to one day open a pro bono clinic that serves vulnerable populations, especially women and children.

For now, she plans to continue working for a non-profit organization that supports survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. Not only does she want to teach life skills, Smith also wants to help survivors reclaim their lives and rediscover strength, independence and self-worth.

A first-generation student and the first in her family to graduate from high school and earn associate’s, bachelor’s and doctorate degrees, Smith wants to remind people that healing is possible no matter how broken one feels. She wants to help people rebuild hope and restore dignity.