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Erin Chung MA ’24

What brought you to occupational therapy?
I’ve always loved “people-watching” for as long as I can remember. And to this day, this act of observing individuals simply living out their daily lives brings me so much joy. Whether it be watching a child play on the playground or seeing an elderly woman carrying her groceries, I feel like I am able to celebrate their small victories as they go about their day. When I first learned about the field of OT during my time volunteering at a nursing home, I realized that OT would allow me to not only celebrate others’ small wins, but also help them to reach these accomplishments.

What area of practice are you interested in?
I’m interested in both pediatrics and geriatrics.

What are some of the occupations you engage in?
Some of my favorite occupations include taking morning walks, baking, gardening, and grocery shopping!

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
I’ve always dreamt of taking a scenic train ride through Switzerland.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
“We grow through what we go through.” I sincerely believe that everything we experience, whether it be positive or negative, teaches us something new about ourselves and how we should go about living. Even when our circumstances make us feel like we’ve taken a step backwards, we need to remind ourselves that we’ve actually taken a step closer to the version of ourselves that we are working toward.

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USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
1540 Alcazar Street, CHP 133, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003

ACOTE accreditation | NBCOT certification

The USC entry-level master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by ACOTE®. View our program’s ACOTE® standards public data. ACOTE® c/o the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-AOTA, www.acoteonline.org.

Professional program graduates are eligible to apply for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. All states require licensure to practice; a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT® OTR certification examination or attain state licensure. Program results from the NBCOT® can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.