BINGO: Celebrating Diversity through Creative Collaborations - (2025)

Kristin Hooper, MS, CCLS is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a master's degree in applied developmental psychology and has been working in the field since 2017.  She started her career as a Certified Child Life Specialist serving patients and families in a 36-bed pediatric intensive care unit.   Linking her undergraduate degree of communications and theatre arts with child life, today Kristin works as the Child Life Program Coordinator for an independent closed-circuit television studio within a pediatric hospital.  She coordinates child-friendly programming that promotes active screen time to support social development.  

Katie O’Connor, received her bachelor’s degree from Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, PA. She then earned her Master of Arts degree in Art Therapy and Counseling from Seton Hill University and went on to obtain her Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) certification through additional coursework at the University of Pittsburgh. Katie currently works as a senior art therapist at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh within the Creative and Expressive Art Therapies (CEAT) department. Hired as the hospital’s first art therapist in 2024, she has worked diligently to help develop the art therapy program over the years. With over 10 years of experience, she has supervised graduate and undergraduate interns, provides programming through the hospital’s TV studio and Maker Space, and also facilitates individual, family, and group art therapy sessions. In addition to her work at the hospital, in 2018 Katie opened and owns a private practice in the North Hills of Pittsburgh. In her practice, she offers trauma-informed art therapy and professional counseling for young adults, adults, families, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community dealing with life transitions, grief, loss, anxiety, depression, chronic illness, and identity challenges. In both settings, Katie is passionate about helping others navigate mental health challenges to reach their fullest potential and is deeply committed to raising awareness of the transformative power of art therapy. She enjoys educating healthcare professionals, families, and communities about the healing impact of creative expression.

Nikki Orkoskey (she/her/hers), MA, CCLS, has been a child life specialist for more than 25 years. Nikki works with patients of all ages and their families on an inpatient/outpatient Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Nikki has a professional interest in diversity, especially healthcare services for the LGBTQIA+ community. Nikki has experience providing inpatient child life services to patients who identify as LGBTQIA+ and acts as a resource to staff related to providing care to patients who identify as LGBTQIA+.