Some people are lucky.
Others recognize opportunities, make good decisions and keep pushing all the way to the finish line. An aptitude test he took at the U of I early on indicated he could be a doctor, a mechanic or a teacher. All three professions appealed to him, but he remained uncertain about his future. Then, a fellow student told Gibb about occupational therapy, and he discovered the perfect way to combine his multifaceted talents. The door to occupational therapy could be opened only by Beatrice D. Wade, director of the UIC program from 1942 through 1971 and founder of the Illinois Plan, the academic program that linked classroom study with clinical practice.