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Alicia McConnell MA ’21

What brought you to occupational therapy?
After seeing a parent stripped of their entire occupational identity after a brain injury and helping them rebuild it over many years of rehabilitation, I saw how occupational therapy is uniquely able to open so many doors to recovery and function. Serving as a 24/7 caregiver also taught me how vital each door that can be opened is for quality of life. I love OT because it looks beyond a diagnosis to see a person as a complete being and synthesize social determinants of health, environment, personal priorities, culture, task analysis, physical and mental capacities, routines, and many other factors in order to provide the most client centered care possible. I know what a difference that care makes and hope to use that experience to serve others.

What area of practice are you interested in?
I am especially interested in working with individuals with traumatic brain injury across the continuum of care. From experience both personal and professional I have seen how brain injury is often treated as an acute condition by the medical model when it should be treated as a chronic one. In my career I hope to provide long term community supports for survivors of brain injury, especially for those who are unable to afford other services.

What are some of the occupations you engage in?
My favorite occupation is gardening! I grew up on a farm but thought there was no way to garden while living in my apartment, until I found a local community garden. I’m able to grow most of my own produce there in a few plots. Some of my favorites are pumpkins, tomatoes, cauliflower, beets, carrots, lettuce, chamomile, rhubarb, peas, and sweet potatoes to name a few!

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
If I could travel anywhere in the world it would be to Madrid. I lived in Spain for a while and miss my family and friends there so much! I also really miss things like the amazing metro system, which I didn’t appreciate until I moved to LA and had to drive everywhere.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
A piece of advice my mom and I talk about a lot is that you can’t change what has happened, but you can change your perspective about it now. Through reframing trauma and pain by appreciating the way these things shape you, I’ve overcome many challenges by viewing them as learning experiences. I think it’s very “OT” advice because OTs are always striving to find the strength and potential for growth within deficits or trauma.

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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.