CHHS Alumni Spotlight Q+A: Brooke Tubbs
Throughout the 2026–2027 academic year, the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) will spotlight alumni who represent the wide range of academic and professional journeys pursued by its graduates. The alumni spotlight series will highlight their experiences, motivations, accomplishments, and interests, while showcasing how their NAU education continues to influence their careers and contributions to the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Todays featured alumni is Brooke Tubbs, a Northern Arizona University graduate who earned her degree in 2022.
What is your hometown?
St. Louis, Michigan.
When did you graduate from NAU?
2022.
Please list your major/program, minor(s), and any certificates.
Doctorate of Occupational Therapy from NAU. B.S. in Integrative Physiology and Health Science and Minor in Spanish from Alma College. Graduate certificate in Translational Research in Adolescent Behavioral Health from The University of South Florida. Graduate certificate in Culturally Competent Addictions Research Training from NAU.
What is your current job title and employer?
Vice President of Programs and Clinical Director; Gnome Surf.
What are the most challenging and most rewarding parts of your job?
One of the most challenging parts of my job is balancing growth with quality. When I started with Gnome Surf, we had 5 to 6 instructors running things. Now we have over 50, including a junior instructor workforce development program, running multiple different programs daily, often at multiple beaches at the same time, year-round. My job is to make sure that no matter how much we scale, every single participant still gets the same standard of safe, thoughtful, clinically-grounded care they would have gotten back when we were a much smaller team. That means constantly building out training, certification, and infrastructure so our values don’t get diluted as we grow. The most rewarding part is seeing the direct impact of the work, both in individual participants and in the instructors we train. As an occupational therapist, I get to watch confidence, connection, and independence build session by session. But I also get to see that ripple outward as we train more instructors who carry that same care into their own communities.
How did your education at NAU prepare you for your career?
At NAU, I received my Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. While direct client interactions and care are a part of my daily work, there is so much more that I learned from NAU that helps me in my current role. I utilize the OT frameworks, skills, and education daily to engage athletes in surf therapy, but I also share that knowledge and educate our instructors to ensure they are prepared to work with numerous types of athletes. I get to see them interact and create magical moments for our athletes, fostering a mission of a culture shift towards inclusion, acceptance, kindness, and love. Outside of the traditional OT scope of practice, I also do a great deal of program development, leadership, and mentoring. These skills are the “soft skills” that my OT professors instilled in us that I never imagined that I’d use.
What is one piece of advice you wish you had known prior to entering the workforce?
I think the piece of advice that I wish I had known is that it’s okay to be flexible within your career. I never imagined that I would be on this career path, but I was open to the change in environment and I was willing to try something new. That flexibility and willingness to jump into the unknown has led to some amazing opportunities.
