University of Dayton junior Kendyl Bergman is a certified cuddler. Yes, really.
She cuddles newborns at Brigid’s Path, a Dayton nonprofit and Ohio’s only newborn recovery center, where she is completing a yearlong fellowship through UD’s Health Engagement Fellowship.
Being a newborn cuddler is one of the most coveted volunteer roles around — Brigid’s Path receives about six applications each day.
“I just got my cuddler training done, so now, after I'm done with my internship, I could come back and be a volunteer as a cuddler, which is awesome,” Bergman said.
A Small-Town Girl with Big Goals
Bergman grew up in Minster, Ohio, a small town about an hour north of Dayton. When she was seven, she visited UD for a cousin’s football game and never forgot it. Then her brother enrolled, and Bergman helped him move into his residence halls his first, second and third years.
“I feel like I just fell in love each time, just with the community aspect. I just felt so at home here. So that’s kind of what steered my decision to go here,” Bergman said.
She officially toured campus as a junior and senior in high school, and when it came time to choose, UD was the clear answer.
Now entering her junior year, Bergman is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in health science with a focus in occupational and behavioral studies and a minor in psychology. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to become a licensed occupational therapist.
A Path Toward Occupational Therapy
Bergman did not always know she wanted to be an occupational therapist. For most of her life, she thought she would become a physical therapist. Then a high school teacher suggested she look into OT. Bergman was curious but unconvinced — until her grandfather had a stroke.
“Just seeing him work from all the way from the bottom to the top. He was able to walk again on his own. From seeing him not being able to move or talk properly, and then he got right back to where he was, it’s just amazing. And I was like, wow, that’s really fitting for me,” Bergman said.
Her grandfather worked with occupational therapists during his recovery and watching that process made everything click. Occupational therapy, Bergman said, is broader than most people realize.
“It’s not just focused on your muscles. It’s focused on your motor abilities. Teaching people how to get in and out of a car, how to shower again, how to walk, how to talk. And then on the baby side, things like tongue ties, speech. We kind of do everything,” she said.
Her coursework reflects that path. Last semester, Bergman took anatomy, complete with a visit to UD’s cadaver lab, and credits her professor, Kimberly Ritteroff, as a standout educator.
“You truly don’t learn anything until you see it on a real person. Professor Ritteroff does amazing work. I really saw that occupational therapy side through that class,” Bergman said.
The James and Lois Rauer Scholarship
Bergman received the James and Lois Rauer Scholarship in 2024, 2025 and 2026, applying each time through UD’s general scholarship application.
The scholarship provided financial relief and created space to pursue experiences that are shaping her career.
“I’m super appreciative because now I don’t have that financial stress that comes with college, and I’m more able to just focus on my classes and what’s important,” she said.
With tuition concerns eased, Bergman has been able to say yes to opportunities, including a nursing home job last summer, her current fellowship and club involvement.
Experiential Learning
Bergman’s placement at Brigid’s Path came through UD’s Health Engagement Fellowship, a program housed in the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community and focused on connecting students with Dayton-area nonprofits.
“I’m just so fortunate. It’s such a great mission, and I’m so happy to be a part of it,” she said.
This summer, Bergman completed 300 fellowship hours and will continue her work during the school year. Her primary role is community outreach, spreading the word about who Brigid’s Path is and why it matters helping raise awareness of Brigid’s Path and increasing community awareness of its work.
“One of our barriers is that a lot of people don’t know us [Brigid’s Path], and they don't know why we’re so unique … we do amazing things, and I feel like it’s my job to get the community involved and aware of where we are, what we do and how unique this place actually is," Bergman said.
The fellowship has taught Bergman some unexpected skills. Learning how operations run behind the scenes, including spreadsheets and administrative systems that keep a nonprofit functioning, has broadened her perspective on working in healthcare.
“Brigid’s Path has been a really good opportunity for me to learn some business skills too. I'm really appreciative of my supervisor, Gretchen, and everything she's helped me with,” she said.
About Brigid’s Path
Brigid’s Path improves the health of newborn babies and mothers impacted by addiction, offering grace for the past, support for the present and hope for the future. The organization provides specialized inpatient medical care for newborns exposed to substances before birth and supports moms and families throughout recovery.
As Bergman describes it, Brigid’s Path is unlike any other program in the country.
“We are the only newborn recovery center in Ohio and one of just five in the U.S. where moms and babies can stay together for up to 90 days. Most similar programs typically serve families for only about 10 days,” she said.
The first 30 days are spent in the medical nursery, where babies receive treatment. The next 30 to 60 days take place in the transitional nursery, where moms assume primary care responsibilities and nurses gradually step back. Educational classes and recovery support run throughout. At least five overnight stays are required so mother and baby can bond before going home.
About 80% of families leave Brigid’s Path together.
But the relationship with Brigid’s Path does not end there.
“Our doors are always open. We actually have moms that bring their babies back and show us their progress. ‘I got a job here.’ And we celebrate those wins. We’re so proud of them, all the time,” Bergman said.
Two Communities, One Mission
When asked to sum up what her time at UD and Brigid’s Path have meant to her, Bergman does not hesitate.
“The Dayton community in general, you don’t realize how much is there. You see all these people who just want to do better for our world. Even just with all the scholarships I’ve received, I’m so thankful for those people, because they do not have to do that, and they do," she said.
She sees the same spirit at Brigid’s Path.
“Every single day, people walk in with a positive attitude and want to change something and make something better. We never want to settle. We could have closed our doors a year ago, and we didn’t. It’s very community-based," Bergman said.
For Bergman, UD is giving her the tools, support and opportunity. Brigid’s Path is giving her purpose. For the babies in those nurseries, she is making a difference — one cuddle at a time.