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Rachael Paszotta MA ’19

What brought you to occupational therapy?
There are so many daily activities in which we all engage that we simply take for granted and do without much thought or effort. However, injuries or disabilities often prevent people from being able to fully participate in activities and experiences that are important to them. I have personally seen the frustration and disappointment of people who have been unable to independently complete everyday tasks: when my brother underwent surgery after breaking his wrist and could not play sports with the same intensity, when a student in my mother’s kindergarten class could not grip the pencil to write his name, when children diagnosed with autism struggled with fine and gross motor coordination during their hippotherapy sessions, when a former seamstress was unable to sew due to her arthritis pain, and when an elderly man experienced tremors and was unable to dance with his wife as gracefully as he would have liked. I have also witnessed the excitement and confidence in these patients that have resulted from their progress toward independence and regained strength during occupational therapy sessions. These events have inspired in me an excitement and enthusiasm for working in the field of Occupational Therapy because I strongly believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to live the highest quality of life possible. I want to be an integral part of that process.

What area of practice are you interested in?
I’m very interested in the mental health aspect of OT as well as Hand Therapy.

What are some of the occupations you engage in?
I currently work at an indoor cycling studio, as a waitress and a nanny!

If we opened your fridge, what would we see?
Lots of iced coffee. 😊

If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
Machu Picchu in Peru!.

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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®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) has applied for accreditation and has been granted Preaccreditation Status 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. The program must complete an on-site evaluation and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®).

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.