Kim Anderson and her fiance, Zach
My name is Kim Anderson and I live in Rapid City, South Dakota which has a population of 63,000 people. Rapid City is located on the eastern slope of the Black Hills where I love to hike, bike, and ski. Growing up, my family and I would travel to the Black Hills a couple of times a year to do outdoor activities. I feel spoiled now that I live here and I'm able to participate in these outdoor activities on a regular basis.
My family consists of my father, Mike, who is a dental technician and dog trainer. My mother, Mavis, is a bank teller, and my brother Ryan is a civil engineer. My parents also own Anderson Kennels where they board pets, raise labs, and vizslas, and train dogs. My parents live in Mitchell, South Dakota approximately 440 kilometers east of where I live. My brother lives in Boise, Idaho which is about 1500 kilometers west of Rapid City. I recently becameengaged to Zach and we are going to be married on May 30th of this year. Zach is a registered nurse at Rapid City Regional Hospital and is also a lieutenant in the South Dakota National Guard where he is a case manager in a medical detachment.
I received my Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. I graduated from college in 2004 and am currently working at the Regional Rehabilitation Institute as a registered and licensed occupational therapist. I see individuals after they have suffered from an illness or an injury such as a stroke, brain injury or hip surgery. My role is to assist them to become as independent as possible with their daily activities again so they can go back to their "job of living."
I also fill my time with my new dog, Lily. She is an eight month old vizsla who loves to go cross country skiing, hiking and running with my friends and me. This last year I competed in two half marathons, which was quite an accomplishment for me because I have never enjoyed running until this year when I started to train. Now I am addicted to it!
While in Australia, I am hoping to gain an understanding of a new culture. I had the opportunity meet the GSE team that came to South Dakota from Australia in the fall of 2008 and my curiosity for the country grew even more. In researching the health care system, it seems as though the United States and Australia are struggling with similar problems. I am hoping for the opportunity to visit hospitals and clinics to further my knowledge in the field of occupational therapy and in health care as a whole.
