Jo Ann Colosimo Click contribution makes for first endowed Occupational Therapy scholarship at CMU
In 2021, a scholarship supporting Occupational Therapy students was established to honor Jo Ann Colosimo Click, a true pioneer in the field. Jo Ann was born in 1935 to Italian-American parents in Grand Junction, Colorado. She was the oldest of five children and attended Grand Junction High School, graduating in 1953. Jo Ann began her studies at Mesa Junior College—then a two-year institution—where she earned her associate degree, graduating in 1955. She then enrolled in the Occupational Therapy (OT) program at Colorado State College. Due to financial circumstances, she balanced a job while completing her OT coursework, which was made possible by various scholarships. She graduated with her degree in Occupational Therapy from CSU in 1961.
A year later, she married Bill Click and returned to Grand Junction to start the first Occupational Therapy Department at the State Home and Training School. Bill received his associate degree in business from Mesa Junior College. They returned to Denver so Bill could pursue a bachelor’s degree in business. While there, Jo Ann went to work at Saint Joseph Hospital, where she once again built its first Occupational Therapy Department. She was tasked with finding patients who needed Occupational Therapy services and also supported the hospital's records department, a role she remembers fondly. After several years at Saint Joseph and Bill’s graduation from the University of Denver, she and her husband then moved to Casper, and then on to Sundance, Wyoming where she worked part-time providing Occupational Therapy to seniors in nursing homes. She balanced her OT work with the work of raising her seven children. Family has always been at the center of her life.
Jo Ann returned to the Grand Junction State Home and Training School in 1978 to become the head of the Occupational Therapy Department. She remained the head of the OT department until her retirement in 2000.
During her years at the State Home and Training School, known as the Grand Junction Regional Center, Jo Ann assisted in developing the Occupational Therapy Department and its outreach to the communities of the Western Slope. She was also an integral part of the process of de-institutionalization and implementation of moving individuals with special needs into the public school system, group homes, and supporting the goal of returning individuals to their communities. She was a strong advocate for making ongoing education available to her staff and actively supported the student OT program.
Jo Ann’s career in Occupational Therapy has left a lasting mark on the Grand Junction community, where her dedication, compassion and leadership have been admired by patients and students alike. She has been revered by her many employees and colleagues for her commitment to education, and her gentle and caring approach to patients and those around her. She has always been known for her ability to listen with her heart and build meaningful connections with everyone she meets, making her a beloved figure in both her profession and her community.
Teal Skoe and Hailey Lippincott are the recipients of the scholarship (pictured above) and are currently enrolled at the Occupational Therapy program at CMU.