Sean McDonnell Named 2025 Graduate Commencement Student Speaker

Sean McDonnell graduates with his Master of Occupational Therapy degree on Saturday, May 17 and will serve as the Graduate Commencement Ceremony student speaker.

During his time as both an undergraduate and graduate student at GMercyU, Sean was a leader on campus. He was a member of Psi Chi National Honor Society, Sigma Phi Sigma, and served as an Executive Board Member and Social Media Committee Chair for the Student Occupational Therapy Association. Sean was also the president of the Voices of Gwynedd, where he assisted in leading rehearsals and performances, coordinated events, and supported the growth of fellow members. He was also charged with maintaining the Voices’ presence on and off campus through community outreach and musical performances.

Sean served as a Resident Assistant, developing and facilitating programs focused on GMercyU’s Core Values and the Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy. He also supported residents’ academic and personal wellbeing and contributed to a safe and inclusive living environment. In 2023, Sean was named Community Builder of the Year and Rookie of the Year, and in 2024 was named Resident Assistant of the Year, all awards given by the Office of Residence Life. Sean also had the privilege of being one of 10 students featured in Amazon Prime’s The College Tour, speaking on his experience as a student at GMercyU.

Off campus, Sean volunteered with several organizations, including The Bean Bag Food Program, The PEAK Center in Lansdale, and Cradles to Crayons. With The Bean Bag Food Program, Sean helped to fill bags for delivery for schools, organized and sorted inventory, and crafted positive cards for children impacted by the hunger gap. In partnership with The PEAK Center, Sean hosted a program in the residence halls where more than 100 positive letters were written for each member of The PEAK Center, most of whom experience food and housing insecurity. Alongside other volunteers, Sean helped to sort and inspect donated items and packaged them for delivery, serving more than 70,000 children in the Greater Philadelphia region with Cradles to Crayons.

Within the Occupational Therapy Department, Sean worked as a Graduate Assistant where he provided academic and administrative support to faculty members. He also assisted with lab prevention, department events, supported students through resource development, and contributed to the department’s mission of excellence in education and service.

Sean completed fieldwork experience at Neuro Restorative, where he assisted with an outpatient program focused on rehabilitation and community reintegration for individuals with TBI. He also conducted client evaluation, designed and implemented individualized evidence-based interventions, and adjusted treatment strategies to accommodate to clients’ varying cognitive, physical, and emotional recovery stages. Sean is currently in a secondary fieldwork experience at FOX Rehabilitation at The Pinnacle of Plymouth Meeting, where he provides occupational therapy services to older adults across independent living, personal care, and memory care units. He is responsible for conducting assessments, developing and implementing individualized occupation-based treatment plans, and delivering interventions focused on the enhancement of performance in daily living, mobility, safety awareness, and quality of life. Within this role, Sean has become increasingly efficient in documentation with a fast-paced clinical environment, modifying interventions for clients with cognitive impairments, and collaborating with interdisciplinary team members to support holistic, person-centered care.

Sean also conducted research entitled “The Power of Art for Persons with Dementia: A Scoping Review.” It emphasized how meaningful, creative occupations can influence psychosocial wellbeing, promote mindfulness, reduce stress, and foster social participation. He found his research to reinforce occupational therapy’s distinct value in addressing the holistic needs of individuals with complex diagnoses through personalized, client-center interventions. By synthesizing findings in current literature and conducting a scoping review, Sean’s group explored the therapeutic potential of art-based interventions for older adults living with dementia within a community setting.

After passing the NBCOT boards exam, Sean plans to begin his career as a full-time Occupational Therapist working with older adults in an assisted living setting. He also plans on continuing at Jefferson Moss-Magee rehabilitation working in traumatic brain injury.