Sep 22, 2025
‘Tiny dinosaur moments’ mark 2025 OT Vesting Ceremony
Sometimes, the smallest things can make the biggest difference. For Caitlyn Berry, a handful of tiny dinosaur erasers – symbols of encouragement she once handed to struggling marathoners – became a metaphor for the power of occupational therapy.
On Sept. 12, the 2015 alum shared that lesson with the newest VCU Occupational Therapy class, as the 48 first-year students donned their vests for the first time. During the annual vesting ceremony, they were welcomed into the profession as family and friends celebrated with flowers, balloons and cheers.
During her final year of OT training, Berry discovered running, starting with a “couch-to-5K” challenge from a close friend and classmate. As she added marathons and even ultramarathons to her personal successes, she began serving as a volunteer coach for the Richmond Marathon, popping up along the route on race day to offer encouragement.
One time, she handed out miniature dinosaur erasers to runners at their lowest point in the race. What seemed like a silly gesture gave them the motivation to reach the finish line.
“Runners smiled. They laughed. Their shoulders relaxed,” said Berry, now director of government relations at Sportable, which provides adaptive sports and recreation. “One runner even told me afterward, ‘That dinosaur was exactly what I needed in that moment to believe I could finish.’”
As a leader, advocate and innovator, Berry has demonstrated a strong commitment and passion for empowering individuals with disabilities and advancing inclusive health and wellness, and has taught and mentored VCU OT students since 2016. After starting her career with SOAR365 where she supported children with developmental delays and disabilities, Berry went on to co-found Adapt and Grow, which provides strengths-based, family-centered therapy in homes and community centers.
Berry urged the students to remember that small things – whether a tool, a word of encouragement or a listening ear – often have great impact.
For her, that meant seeing a mom she taught about sensory processing later authoring a renowned children’s book about sensory differences. Or a client and new amputee who wanted to return to the active lifestyle she loved, who told Berry she cried after their first phone call because that was the first time she had felt seen, accepted and hopeful after acquiring her disability.
“Some of our most impactful moments are the tiny dinosaur ones. They’re the quiet ones, the personal ones, the ones that might feel small or mundane in the moment,” said Berry, who was recognized with the Jayne Shepherd Making a Difference Alumni Award and the 2025 Dean’s Outstanding Service Award from the VCU College of Health Professions. “But they can set off ripples and waves that we never even witness. Never underestimate those small moments. They matter, and they are the heart of what we do.”
Berry also reminded the OT Class of 2028 that their work will often change lives in ways they may never see. “We don’t always get to see our clients reach their personal finish line,” she said. But “even when we can’t see it, the work we do shapes lives in ways more profound than we’ll ever know.”
Vest represents impact of profession
In her opening remarks, Carole Ivey, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, chair of occupational therapy, reminded students and families that the vest is more than a garment. VCU has presented students with vests, embroidered with both the school and department name, since 2015, when it transitioned to a doctoral program.
“The vest itself represents function, adaptability and utility,” Ivey said. “It holds the tools of your practice and carries the reminder that what we do is powerful – sometimes more powerful than medicine itself.”
Ivey encouraged students to embrace their new role with confidence. “Ask yourself, who do I want to be at the end of this year? Who do I want to be at the end of my program?” she said. “We, the faculty, believe in your potential, and we look forward to walking beside you as you discover it.”
Stepping into the future
Amy Darragh, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, dean of the College of Health Professions and an occupational therapist herself, congratulated the students on their transition from solely learners to their initial steps as colleagues.
“This is not just about starting school,” she said. “This is about joining a profession, joining a career and becoming a health care provider. The vest symbolizes that new identity.”
After the ceremony, students posed for their first class photo in vests and led family and friends on tours of the classrooms and simulation labs where they will complete much of their training over the next year.
For those students the afternoon marked both a milestone and a promise: They are now colleagues in a profession dedicated to unlocking potential, one small step at a time. This work “happens just one person at a time, when we listen, when we educate, when we empower someone to see their own strength,” Berry said. “That’s how we lift up individuals. That’s how we strengthen communities.”
Before leaving the podium, Berry noted that she had a tiny dinosaur eraser for each student to tuck into their new vest pockets. “It’s not really about the dinosaur itself,” she said. “It’s about what it represents – a reminder that your work matters, even when it feels small – especially when it feels small.”