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Kevin Casey MA ’18

What brought you to occupational therapy?
Since I was young, I’ve always enjoyed working with and learning from children who have disabilities. However, I wasn’t introduced to the field of occupational therapy until the summer after my sophomore year of college, when I volunteered at Bay Cliff Health Camp, a 7-week-long overnight therapy camp for children and teens. The experience was amazing (I’ve returned a few more summers) and the idea of becoming an OT has stuck with me ever since.

Describe your background before coming to occupational therapy?
Following my graduation from the University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!) with a B.A. in Political Science, I knew that I wanted to engage in service and work with children. This led me to St. Petersburg, Florida, where I taught 4th grade for two incredible years through the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) teaching service program, while also earning my M.Ed. from Notre Dame. Following my teaching experience, I spent a “gap year” in St. Louis to complete OT applications and prerequisites, which gave me the opportunity to work at a respite care weekend camp for individuals with developmental disabilities, as well as travel the U.S. to visit friends.

Tell us about your favorite memory from the program so far.
So this isn’t really a specific memory, but hopefully it still counts at an acceptable answer! I’ve loved living in the OT House, and most of my favorite memories of the program thus far involve building friendships with the other students living there too. While some of these memories include more organized events, such as trying dim sum for the first time, attending the OT Decades Party, celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival, or having a pumpkin-carving party for Halloween, many more include more low-key, impromptu times . . . Good conversations on the bus rides to and from school, eating dinner and studying together, game nights, or walking to the local market to get a late-night treat.

If we opened your fridge, what would we see?
Milk, pineapple, apple butter (have to represent the Midwest!), an open container of ice cream (if you’re quick enough to catch it before it’s gone . . .), and lots of healthy produce that make me look at lot healthier than I am (it’s the thought that counts, right?).

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
Does this include time travel? I’d love to visit all of the national parks before people discovered them, when they were completely untouched and pristine. However, traveling to 1890s St. Louis or 1920s New York City would be pretty neat, too!

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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.