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John J. Lee MA ’21

What brought you to occupational therapy?
I love the idea of helping others live to their fullest by creative means of occupational engagement. As a bridge between arts and science, OT keeps me accountable to engage in purposeful activities myself! I personally witnessed the therapeutic means of ‘preoccupying’ my mind during an extremely trying time in my life. I’m fascinated to see how applicable OT is to different populations, which I’m still exploring!

What are some of the occupations you engage in?
Videography, hiking, backpacking, playing guitar and piano.

Tell us about your favorite memory from the program so far.
I won’t forget the Lunar New Year dinner held at the Plum Tree Inn at Chinatown. I got to know so many faculty and peers through this cultural event, and I genuinely feel like it was one particular event that brought people in our Division together. It was fascinating to hear about others’ specialities and practices of interest, while celebrating Chinese New Year with them. Also, the food was incredible. I remember walking out of the restaurant with a full stomach, only to have some MA1 students urge me to grab dessert with them. Mind you, I pretty much met them for the first time that day. It was a memorable start to some great friendships with the amazing people in this program!

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
While it’s a mandatory goal to revisit Japan and Hong Kong, I have always wanted to visit India. I’ve always thought of India as a mystical country filled with deserts, authentic curry dishes, and some of the friendliest people I met in the world!

You have your own late night talk show, who do you invite as your first guest?
Hands down, Chris Martin from Coldplay. I would give him a big hug, and implore him to play some acoustics of the band’s underrated songs (i.e., ‘Swallowed in the Sea’ & ‘True Love’) until I fall asleep on the couch.

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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.