Meet Dora Onwumere, PhD in Occupational Therapy Student…
At NYU Steinhardt, Dora Onwumere (PhD in Occupational Therapy) has balanced full-time professional leadership with doctoral study while raising her two children, proving that graduate education does not happen in isolation from real life—it grows through it.
“I’m constantly switching between being a parent, a professional, a researcher, a mentor, and a student, sometimes all in the same afternoon,” says Onwumere, supervisor of occupational therapy (OT) for New York City Public Schools. “My life doesn’t split neatly into separate areas; everything overlaps and shapes everything else.”
Originally from Ghana, Onwumere immigrated to the U.S. at age 11. After obtaining her master’s from New York Institute of Technology, she began working as an OT at P.S. 396 in the Bronx. As a school-based OT, she helped many students participate more successfully in everyday activities through a range of interventions. One specific population was autistic students, who can often benefit from help with sensory sensitivities, coordination and dexterity, self-regulation, and more.
As part of working with these students, Onwumere became involved with the ASD Nest Program (now known as the Nest Program), a groundbreaking initiative to support autistic students in inclusive school settings that was new and somewhat unusual at the time.
“Twenty years ago, programs like Nest weren’t often found in underserved communities—in fact, P.S. 396 was the first school in the Bronx to get it,” says Onwumere. “I quickly realized there was limited understanding of the unique role OTs could play in supporting autistic learners.”
Discovering Her Academic Purpose
Onwumere began doing her own research and encountered studies showing that autistic students often experienced poorer long-term outcomes in employment, health, and quality of life than peers with other disabilities, despite strong academic abilities. The findings stopped her in her tracks.
“I remember looking at the students I had worked with for years and thinking, ‘How is that possible?’” she says. “These were amazing humans, and they were working so hard with so much potential. I realized that effort alone was not enough when the systems around them were not designed to support their success.”
As she dug deeper, she found that many autistic students were not receiving enough support in areas like emotional regulation, workplace readiness, self-management, and self-advocacy.
“We were doing a great job providing services but not necessarily teaching the functional life skills students needed to navigate adulthood,” says Onwumere. “That realization became the foundation for my PhD journey helping autistic students develop the abilities they need to thrive.”
Turning Theory Into Practice
At NYU Steinhardt, Onwumere became the research program director for Making Mentors, a peer mentorship initiative that pairs autistic college students with autistic high school students to provide support for navigating the educational journey.
“Nothing stays theoretical for long at NYU Steinhardt,” says Onwumere. “What I learn in class directly informs my research, my professional work, even my parenting.”
Balancing Motherhood and a PhD
Dora Onwumere at her graduation with her husband, Ezenwa, and their children, Adaeze and Ezenwa (EJ)
As a mother, Dora’s graduate experience has been especially meaningful. When she began her PhD program, her children were just 3 and 5 years old. Now 9 and 11, they have grown up watching their parent study late into the night, write papers at the dining room table beside them, and continue showing up even during difficult moments.
“There were nights when all of us were sitting at the table doing homework together,” says Onwumere. “We had to create schedules around everyone working on projects at the same time.”
Dora describes pursuing her PhD while parenting full-time as the most transformative experience of her life—not only for herself, but for her children.
“I want parents to know that nothing should deter you from going after something bigger,” she says. “You’re teaching your kids resilience. You’re showing them that they can dream beyond their circumstances, keep going through challenges, and believe that their goals are possible. During moments when I feel overwhelmed, my daughter tells me, ‘Mom, you can do hard things.’ Now, when she’s struggling, I say the same thing back to her.”
Looking Ahead
After graduation, Onwumere hopes to continue expanding Making Mentors and advocating for more inclusive, affirming spaces for autistic students. Her long-term goal is simple but ambitious: to help close the gaps that prevent autistic students from thriving in school, work, and everyday life. She hopes to build programs that not only support academic success but also strengthen students' sense of belonging and identity.
For Onwumere, the work is about creating spaces where students are not just included, but feel truly seen, heard, and supported.
“Whatever support is needed, I want to help build it,” she says. “I want to make sure autistic students and autistic individuals as a whole feel fulfilled in their lives.”
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