Race to 100 Alumni
Victoria Bombe
KCC Class of 2018
Major: Recreation Therapy (Certification)
Current Title/Profession: Recreational Therapist at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Adjunct Professor at Lehman College
Nominated by: Talia Cook
Victoria Bombe had initially planned to work in the field of psychology, but put her career plans on hold when her father was diagnosed with metastatic cancer in 2015. While caring for him full time, she saw firsthand the benefits of Recreation Therapy (RT).
A recreational therapist utilizes purposeful activity interventions to address a client’s assessed needs and help them to achieve their goals. Activities address all domains of health, and include interventions such as art, crafting, games, creative writing, movement groups, and community outings. The RT works with the individual to identify specific leisure activities and hobbies that may be useful during their therapy.
“RT helped me and my family through one of the most difficult experiences we had ever faced by focusing on something other than disease, cancer, and death,” recalled Bombe. “It helped us to continue to form positive memories right up until my dad’s passing. It not only saved our last Christmas, but somehow made it enjoyable, reminding us there were still opportunities to enjoy life. After my dad died, I decided I no longer wanted to pursue a career in psychology. I wanted to be a recreation therapist and help facilitate meaningful experiences for families like my own.”
In 2018, she enrolled at Kingsborough as a non-degree student to prepare for her career change. “Since I already had my bachelor’s degree and some graduate credits in psychology, I only needed a few extra courses to be eligible to sit for the national RT certification exam,” she explained. “After some researching online, I saw that KCC had an associate degree program in recreation therapy. Kingsborough was affordable and close enough to where I live, so I figured this would be a good place to take the courses I needed.”
She admitted she’d initially thought she would just be a number at a public college. “I reached out to the rec department and promptly received a call back from Mimi Fierle,” she said. “She guided me through the entire process – she was so thorough! She didn’t even know me, yet she always returned my calls. She also took the initiative to call me and make sure I was all set and registered for the right courses. Being new to the field of RT, I was overwhelmed and wanted to make sure I fulfilled all the requirements put forth by NCTRC (the national accrediting body for recreation therapists). Professor Fierle helped to ease my anxiety by reviewing my transcripts and telling me exactly what courses I needed. I found this so impressive.”
Bombe found her time at Kingsborough to be pivotal as she progressed toward her new career path. In addition to providing valuable education in the classroom, including sharing their real-life experiences in the field, they encouraged students to be active in the real world, including presenting at professional conferences — which is not typical at the community college level. “The conferences helped us to network and learn about the importance of research and new developments. We were also encouraged to participate in conferences, either via volunteering or presenting.”
After completing her courses at KCC, she was encouraged to attend Lehman College to obtain a master’s degree in recreation therapy. “Being an older student, I was reluctant at first: I just wanted to get certified and start working. I had already done doctoral work in psychology, but didn’t complete my degree. The thought of starting another graduate program seemed exhausting at the time. However, I trusted my KCC professors.” She ultimately earned the degree and was offered a job as an adjunct professor at Lehman. “I do not think any of this would have happened without the encouragement from KCC.”
In addition to teaching, Bombe is also a certified therapeutic recreation specialist (CTRS) previously assigned to the medical units at the NY Harbor VA Hospital – Brooklyn Campus. She was a part of the palliative care team and worked with veterans facing serious or life-threatening disease. She continues her work with the veteran population and now serves as a recreational therapist at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
Bombe feels the training she received at Kingsborough was comprehensive. “They provided me relevant coursework that I continue to reference today as I work. Additionally, I still consider my professors from KCC as resources. If I have questions, I feel comfortable reaching out for advice.”
She wants people to know that the faculty and staff at KCC really care about their students. “They hardly knew me and helped me get my life back on track. They took on that challenge and invested time in me. That is something I will always be grateful for.”