Rocky Mountain College OTD Student Spotlight: Juliana Davis Finds Her Calling in Neuro and Rural Care
BILLINGS, Mont. — March 2026 — For second-year Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) student Juliana Davis, the path to occupational therapy started in a town of just 900 people in rural Manitoba, Canada—and with watching her dad navigate life with multiple sclerosis.
“I saw him having to give up all the things that he loves,” Juliana shared. “I’ve always been very athletic and I care a lot about people. I knew my purpose in life was to help people, and I wanted to find something that mixed all the things I loved into one job. OT was the perfect fit.”
Her goal has always been to find a career that “doesn’t really feel like a job”—and occupational therapy has become exactly that.
From the Prairies to the Peaks: Why She Chose Rocky Mountain College
Juliana completed her bachelor’s degree in the Midwest, surrounded by cornfields, and felt ready for a new landscape.
“I grew up in the prairies, then went to undergrad in the Midwest. I just wanted something closer to the mountains for a little bit of my life,” she said. “Even if it was only for a couple years, I wanted to experience that.”
Rocky Mountain College offered that change of scenery and something even more important—proximity to home.
“RMC was a lot closer to my family than my undergrad was, so being able to go home a little more was special to me too.”
Since moving to Billings, she’s made the most of the location—hiking in the mountains, driving through Red Lodge, and even completing fieldwork at Beartooth Billings Clinic, a small hospital serving a rural area outside the city.
“It was really cool,” she said. “We did acute, swing bed, outpatient, and a little bit of pediatrics. Being able to get experience in a rural area was important to me.”
Chasing Neuro: A Passion for the Brain
Juliana discovered early on that she was drawn to neurorehabilitation.
“I like neuro cases—adult neuro, kid neuro—CP, stroke, MS, Parkinson’s. The brain intrigues me,” she said.
Her interest has shaped her experience in the program:
- In her first year, she completed a neuroscience course.
- In her second year, she became a teaching assistant (TA) for neuro, working alongside Dr. Hyrum Haroldsen.
“As a TA, I help with classes, some labs, and tutoring for the first years,” Juliana explained. “Teaching helps me secure all this information in my brain. It enhances my learning in the subject.”
Researching Cerebellar Stroke Interventions
Juliana is also part of a faculty-led research project focused on an underrepresented area in the evidence:
“We’re researching cerebellar stroke interventions with Dr. Haroldsen,” she said.
“Last year we did a full literature review, and there isn’t much out there. That’s why he brought it up—he had a cerebellar stroke patient who wanted evidence, and he couldn’t find any.”
This year, the group is partnering with Billings Clinic to review therapy notes for about 50 patients who have had cerebellar strokes.
“We get to go through all the notes and interventions, then look for themes to find the best ones people have used,” Juliana said. “I’m really excited to dive in and see what people do.”
A Vision for Rural Aging in Place
Looking ahead to her capstone and future practice, Juliana is drawn back to her rural roots.
“There’s a big need in the rural population for care,” she said. “A lot of individuals have to relocate to urban centers to get the care they need. I don’t think that just because you live in a rural area, you shouldn’t get the care you deserve.”
She is especially passionate about helping older adults remain in their homes.
“These people work their entire lives and build this home and this place where everything is peaceful and the way they want it. I think they should get to live there as long as possible,” she shared.
Her long-term vision includes:
- Creating a resource—like a book or website—to provide education and strategies for people living in rural areas to age in place.
- Eventually developing a mobile outpatient clinic to bring occupational therapy directly to rural communities.
“It’ll probably be like a 10-year project,” she laughed, “but I want to start with a simple resource and network with people in the area to learn what they love to do—fishing, working, whatever—and help them keep doing those things.”
While she loves Canada and her family roots, she’s open to serving rural communities wherever the road leads.
“My mom raised me to spread my wings,” Juliana said. “I’d like to do that for as long as I can.”
Small Cohort, Big Support
Juliana is part of a small cohort of OTD students—a size she sees as a major strength when compared to some larger universities.
“Our class sizes are small,” she said. “We’re all very invested in what we’re doing. We’re a little competitive, so it gets fun when we play games.”
But what stands out most is the relationship with faculty.
“We get personal relationships with all our instructors,” Juliana said.
“Even when you’re in your third year on fieldwork, they still check in, they still care about you, they still want what’s best for you. The professors are so nice and understanding. They’re doing everything they can for us,” she said.
Support goes beyond academics. As an international student, Juliana has relied on staff like Linda in student support.
“Linda is awesome,” she said. “She’s helped me a lot, especially being an international student. Everyone is very warm and welcoming. I feel like I could go into any office and they’d be willing to listen and help in any way they can.”
Life in Billings: Outdoors, Skates, and Trails
Outside of class and clinical work, Juliana makes the most of what Billings, Montana has to offer.
“I like to be outside. I have a dog, and it’s a very walkable place—there are trails everywhere, garbage cans, bags, everything you need,” she said. “We go golfing quite a bit, and the golf courses and staff are very friendly. We also go rollerblading a lot—there are lots of good trails for that too.”
Coming from Manitoba, Canada, she finds the winters mild.
“It doesn’t get that cold here,” she said. “I’m from Manitoba, so this is good.”
A hockey player, she’s also found a welcoming rink community.
“The rink is very accessible and they’re super friendly there. We go skating sometimes. It’s cool.”
For Juliana, the combination of meaningful neuro-focused learning, rural health impact, close faculty relationships, and outdoor lifestyle in Montana has made Rocky Mountain College’s OTD program a place where her purpose and passion align.
“They’re not just professors,” she said. “They’re helping shape you into the OT you want to be, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to help you along the way.”
