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Justin Telles MA ’22

Describe your background before coming to occupational therapy.
I was living in Dubai where I own a health restaurant and worked part-time as a personal trainer, and wellness has always been a central focus of my lifestyle and purpose. With OT, I wanted to transition to a field that takes a more comprehensive bird’s eye view of well-being rather than just attempt to isolate the physical aspect, because health can’t be fractured. I was an OT patient and it changed my life. I cannot begin to describe how meaningful and transformative OT has been for me.

What are some of the occupations you engage in?
I love to skydive, grow mushrooms, exercise daily, and ride my bicycle everywhere I can.

If you could be immortal, what age would you choose to stop aging at and why?
I would never ever want to be immortal, that would be a horrible curse! The beauty and meaning of life is in its fleeting nature. It is the fragility of our being that evokes its value, and it is precious because it is fragile.

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
I’ve been to over 50 countries but I would go to Antarctica because it’s the only continent I haven’t been to!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
We are always able to change our relationship with an event and tell a different story about what is happening and what already happened, we are never bound to a particular frame of understanding.

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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.