Brett Polaski, a first-year graduate student in the Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program, has been awarded the Benjamin Franklin Lever Tuition Fellowship.

This highly competitive award is given to qualified students who reflect the university's commitment to academics and diversity.

Polaski earned a bachelor's degree in public relations from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2014. He originally moved to Northwest Arkansas to work as a medical device sales representative, but he decided he'd be happier in healthcare.

"I wanted to have the ability to directly influence the lives of others," he said. "I have always been a 'put others first' kind of person, and when I stumbled upon occupational therapy, I realized that it checked a lot of boxes as far as what I believe in.

"I believe that we as humans should all have the same opportunities and access to the things that make us unique and provide fulfillment, health, and well-being in our lives."

Occupational therapy helps improve the lives of people of all abilities and backgrounds, he said. "I am passionate about creating a more inclusive and equitable world, starting with my community, and I believe my degree in occupational therapy will provide me with the tools necessary to press toward this goal," he added.

The Occupational Therapy doctoral program is offered jointly by the College of Education and Health Professions at the U of A and the College of Health Professions at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and UAMS's Northwest campus in Fayetteville.

Polaski is a regular volunteer and treasurer for a local non-profit, Achilles Arkansas. The organization's mission is "to promote the health and well-being of individuals of all abilities through running, walking, rolling, or by any means necessary," he said.

Volunteers help raise money to purchase adaptive sports equipment like hand-cycles, prosthetics and tethers, and to cover any race entry fees. The organization hosts weekly meetups at Lake Fayetteville to provide a physically active, fun, and inclusive environment for everyone. "This organization has been a huge part of my life over the past two years and aligns greatly with my goals as a future occupational therapist," Polaski said.

Polaski called the Benjamin Franklin Lever Tuition Award life changing and said it will allow him to pursue opportunities that are beneficial to others that would have previously been out of reach after graduation.

"Representing roughly 10% of males in the field of occupational therapy, I plan to promote the profession to individuals of all genders, races, and ethnicities in order to better meet the needs of the diverse populations we will one day serve as clinicians," he said.

About Benjamin Franklin Lever: A native of Pine Bluff, Lever was the first African American student to receive a graduate degree from the Fayetteville campus. After earning a bachelor's degree from the Tuskegee Institute in 1938, he earned a Master of Science in agronomy in 1951, a Master of Education in educational administration in 1955 and a Diploma of Advanced Studies in 1964, all from the U of A.

Lever taught at Arkansas AM&N College (now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff), was principal at several Arkansas public schools and was a dean at Shorter College. He died in 1980.