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Stefanie Kuizon MA ’22

What brought you to occupational therapy?
I first discovered OT during my first semester as an undergrad at USC at a healthcare professional networking event. At the time I was pursuing physician assistant, but I was intrigued by the focus on person-centered care and the holistic perspective of wellbeing. The next semester, I enrolled in OT220 to learn more and made the decision to minor in OS. As I learned more about the profession in my classes and volunteered at clinics, I knew OT was the perfect blend of health, teaching, and creativity I was seeking in a career.

What area of practice are you interested in?
Ever since I was young, I’ve had an interest in working in pediatrics and I have a lot of experience working with children. My volunteer experiences span from early intervention, outpatient clinics, and schools. However, my interests have expanded to primary care and lifestyle redesign through my research at the Lifestyle Redesign for Chronic Conditions Lab.

What are some of the occupations you engage in?
Some of my favorite occupations include discovering new boba cafes, snowboarding, ice skating, vlogging, traveling, and going to music concerts. I also recently discovered a love for baking!

If you could be immortal, what age would you choose to stop aging at and why?
I would choose 28 because I would have my OT license, a couple years of practice under my belt, and have a sense of stability in my life. I would be mature and responsible to handle life, yet young enough to make a few mistakes and have fun.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve been given is, “We are all works in progress.” It reminds me to be kind to myself during the times when I’m not performing at 100% and to not put so much pressure on myself. It’s also a good reminder that it’s okay if I don’t have everything figured out yet because no one truly does.

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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.