Faculty / Staff Resources Student Resources
University of Southern California
University of Southern California
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
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Education
Education

Nolan Mathew Sucdad MA ’20

Nolan Mathew Sucdad MA ’20

Hometown: Bergenfield, NJ
Program: Entry-Level Master’s, Class of 2020

What brought you to occupational therapy?
I found occupational therapy by chance when looking into going somewhere in the healthcare field. After consulting with many of my friends and family who were already doing various jobs within healthcare, occupational therapy was constantly being brought up as an area of the field that they thought I should look into. Doing some research, I was really drawn into how many different areas that occupational therapists can practice in, as well as how this field encourages creativity and analytical skills, to name a few.

What area of practice are you interested in?
Right now, I am interested in adult rehabilitation, although listening to the experiences that our professors and guest speakers have been through has really made me keep an open mind to potentially practicing in other areas.

Describe your background before coming to occupational therapy.
Before coming to occupational therapy, I was really involved in planning and holding events that would benefit various communities I was involved in and/or causes that I support. Whether it be a fundraiser to rebuild a school following a typhoon on the other side of the world, or helping to run a concert for my undergraduate college community, I really just wanted to promote and spread positivity.

What are some of the occupations you engage in?
Some of my favorite occupations that I engage in are music, traveling, and learning new things.

Tell us about your favorite memory from the program so far.
So far, I have really just enjoyed meeting a lot of new amazing people and listening to their own stories and experiences because these different perspectives allows us to learn and appreciate something that we may have never realized or have only seen from our own viewpoint.

If your childhood had a smell, what would it be?
Chlorine and sunscreen, but also garlic fried rice and grilled meats and vegetables.

What song can you sing entirely by heart?
Having been in choir, as well as being a karaoke enthusiast, probably too many to count, although I do remember lip-synching all the words to NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” at the end of the Decades Party.

What are some small things that make your day better?
Some things that make my day better are getting to spend some quality time with some quality people whether it be planned or, more often than not, spontaneous.