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Joan McGregor (Photo: Supplied)

Joan McGregor wasn’t the type of woman who liked being in the spotlight, says widower Doug Watson. Though she was involved in several high-profile projects during her career as a health care administrator, her focus always remained on what got her into the health-care industry in the first place — her passion for helping people. 

McGregor’s older sister Marilyn was an early graduate of the º£½ÇÉçÇø’s occupational therapy diploma program, and McGregor followed in her footsteps, earning a diploma followed by a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy. According to Watson, McGregor was drawn to the field for the simple reason that “it involved looking after people, which she was very good at and which she enjoyed.” 

She later pursued a master’s degree in Medical Sciences, pivoting to a career in health administration. It allowed her to go beyond direct patient care and instead see how she could make the health-care system itself better for patients. 

As a clinician, McGregor’s career spanned psychiatry, home care and seniors’ care. After retirement, she was a devoted volunteer with patient care charities such as The Brenda Strafford Foundation, continuing her lifelong quest to make the world a better place.

It’s this legacy that Watson hopes to continue amplifying through the Joan McGregor Graduate Endowment in Occupational Therapy. Watson established the endowment in 2023 to commemorate McGregor’s life work, and to ensure students continue to receive support in perpetuity. Watson, along with family and friends, continues to contribute annually to help grow both the fund and student support. In tribute to McGregor’s career path, preference is given to students who are pursuing the combined MBA/MScOT program, an ideal foundation for careers in health administration, and students with a demonstrated interest in community leadership. 

The first recipient, Jennel Taing, fits the criteria perfectly. Though Taing didn’t have the opportunity to meet McGregor, the two likely would have had a lot to talk about. Like McGregor, Taing got her start in patient care, working as a health-care aide straight out of high school. Like McGregor, she’s passionate about volunteering, and has given hours of her time to the Centre for Autism Services Alberta and the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories. She also strives to enrich the opportunities available to her fellow students as co-president of the Occupational Therapy Professional Development Committee.

“As I near the end of my degree, I feel equipped with the skills to truly make a difference in people’s lives,” says Taing. “That’s exactly the kind of impact I want to have as a future occupational therapist.”

Finally, like McGregor, Taing has her sights set on improving the health-care system on a larger scale. Taing, who came to Canada from Cambodia as a child, says her own experiences shape the way she approaches her profession, and the impact she hopes to have. 

“As someone who came from a different country, I often see a lot of systemic barriers. I saw my parents struggle with navigating the systems, especially the health-care system. It can be so complex,” she says. “That sparked my interest in asking — what else can I do to change this? How can we make it a bit easier for people for whom English is their second language?” 

“My long-term goal is to practice leadership in health care to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives,” she says. The award’s support allows her to pursue opportunities that will help her reach that goal just a little bit faster, bringing her closer to her dream of making a difference from within the health-care system, just as McGregor did.