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Home ⟩Education at USC Chan ⟩Entry-Level Doctorate (OTD) ⟩Meet the Students

Maquela Noel OTD ’25

What brought you to occupational therapy?
Growing up, I was mostly raised by my grandparents while my mother worked full-time. At just fourteen years old, I began to notice the declining health of my grandfather, as age-related changes began to manifest themselves in his physical wellbeing. The decline of his physical and cognitive functioning required rehabilitation to maintain the skills needed for daily living. After evaluating my grandfather’s recovery experience, I developed the desire to see people succeed and actively participate in life for as long as possible, gravitating towards the field of occupational therapy because of its ability to aid in achieving this objective.

What area of practice are you interested in?
Pediatrics and Productive Aging Rehabilitation.

How do you plan to use Occupational Therapy in the future?
I plan to use Occupational Therapy in the future by opening my very own OT clinic one day that will be known for its inclusive healthcare setting and ability to serve various patients from diverse backgrounds.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
If I could travel anywhere, it would be Hawaii or Africa. Traveling to either place is a life long dream of mine.

You have your own late night talk show, who do you invite as your first guest?
If I had my own late night talk show, my first guest would be Allyson Felix. As a former track athlete, Felix was someone I admired mainly for her hard work and dedication on and off the track. Still today, she’s someone I hope to meet one day!

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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 fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE). The USC entry-level OTD degree program (cost of attendance) has been granted Candidacy Status by ACOTE. View our program’s ACOTE standards public data. ACOTE c/o Accreditation Department, American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929, (301) 652-6611 x2914, acoteonline.org

Professional program graduates are eligible to apply for certification by National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT), nbcot.org. Program results from the NBCOT can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.