Retiring Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Director Cheng brought ‘dynamic process’ to classroom

After 25 years at Durham Tech, Sue Cheng, Director of the Occupational Therapy Assistant program and Assistant Dean of Allied Health, is starting a new chapter in her career – retirement.

“I’m excited and in denial at the same time,” she said. “Durham Tech has been my home away from home.”

Cheng, a Virginia native, knew she wanted a career in occupational therapy after volunteering as a student at the University of Virginia, where she originally studied architecture.

“I volunteered at the Bloomfield School, where kids who had handicaps too severe for their families to manage at home lived. I saw occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists working with the kids and also shadowed therapists who worked at the UVA Hospital,” she said. “I was intrigued and excited by the combination of empowerment and caring that's involved in the work that OT practitioners do with their patients.”

She continued her education at the University of North Carolina, where she earned a Master’s in Occupational Therapy, then worked in the Hand Rehabilitation Program at Duke University Medical Center for 10 years.

One of her close friends from grad school, Carol Marcus, was instrumental in launching the Occupational Therapy Assistant program at Durham Tech, and had been in touch with Cheng since the beginning asking her to be an instructor.

“Carol was very persuasive,” she said.

Cheng taught her first class in 1995.

“There’s so much I love about teaching. It's such a dynamic process, with each student, each class, each year,” Cheng said. “I was always striving to do it better, make the content clearer, and engage students more. Seeing them understand it and demonstrate the skills is the top. It’s kept me engaged for 25 years. I'm still generating ideas for how to improve the courses I teach ‘next time.’”

She said the highlight of her career is seeing the change that education brings to students’ lives and perspectives.

“They know themselves better and are ready to make a difference in our community when they graduate. I’m proud of the work our students have done to make the campus more accessible, and in their service learning projects in the larger community,” she said.

Cheng made a particularly strong impression on former student, Heather McKay, who was enrolled in the program from 1998 to 2001.

“Sue is the consummate professional, steadily and respectfully challenging OTA students, colleagues, and herself in collaborative teamwork,” McKay said. “She's the type of teacher students appreciate for believing in them. She knows Durham Tech students can and will succeed, so she sets high expectations and relentlessly goes the extra mile to shape and support each student's learning and growth."

McKay said Cheng was her number one supporter when she wanted to advance in the OT profession.

“She taught me that the experience gained at Durham Tech could be a vital stepping stone to future career goals, not the final destination. Thanks to her mentorship, I was able to enter a beloved profession with an associate degree and continue to flourish,” she said.

McKay continued on to graduate school, became an occupational therapist, a certified dementia care specialist, and last year, completed her doctoral degree in occupational therapy. She currently owns a consulting company called Partnerships for Health.

Cheng is also a longtime supporter of the Durham Tech Foundation, and particularly, the Occupational Therapy Assistant Scholarship, which helps offset tuition for students in the program.

“It’s unfortunate that the cost of education keeps so many people from continuing their education or entering health professions where there is a tremendous need for a more diverse workforce,” she said. “I think at the heart of it, like all of the Foundation scholarships, it’s a beautiful thing to help someone’s dreams come true.”

Her last day was May 29, and though she looks forward to having more time to garden, cook, bike, and kayak with her partner Dave, she will miss her colleagues and students most.

“This community has the most fabulous people,” Cheng said. “From the students thinking about enrolling, to the ones in our programs, to the employees in my department and across campus. There are no better coworkers than the ones I’ve had the privilege to work with over all the years I’ve been here. It’s been a gift in my life to work in the OTA program, in the Health Technologies Department, at Durham Tech. There’s no place else like it.”