NART is pleased to introduce The 2024 Future Scholar

Casey Weidner is pursuing her master’s degree at East Carolina University, where she also received her bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy in 2023. She completed her clinical internship at UNC Hospital and is currently a graduate and teaching assistant in the ECU Department of Recreation Sciences.

She holds the following credentials: National Council of Therapeutic Recreation Certification (2023), North Carolina Recreational Therapy license (2023), and Certified Adaptive Recreation and Sport Specialist (CARSS) (2022). She’s received the the North Carolina Recreational Therapy Association (NCRTA) Past Presidents Scholarship Award (2022) and is a Peg Connolly Scholarship winner (2024). She is serving her second term as the Student Representative on the Committee on Accreditation of Recreational Therapy Education (CARTE) Board of Directors.

Entering her final year of the Master’s Program, Casey’s major areas of interest include: the relationship between screen time and varying mental health disorders/conditions in adolescents and young adults; the relationship between technol- ogy usage and varying cognitive functions; behavioral health in adolescents and young adults; the use of technological treatment interventions; and community inclusion and recreation for individuals with IDD. Casey is planning to pursue a doctoral degree to, “continue her commitment and passion for the field of recreational therapy.”