Thankful for Occupational Therapy and the Trojan Family

November 17, 2017
by Ali

What are OS/OT?

As this semester is winding down and I am choosing my classes for next semester I have been feeling especially thankful for being a USC Trojan studying occupational therapy. Thanksgiving coming up around the corner has also been a healthy reminder to take a step back and recognize all the wonderful aspects of my life, future profession, and school. My freshman year I was overwhelmed with too much choice in having to choose a major that would then lead to a job. And then I found occupational therapy.

This semester has been full with making plans for the future after graduation, and I feel so thankful to be at USC studying occupational therapy. At every turn there is a professor who stops class in the middle of a lecture to check in on our stress levels and give us a pep talk about how capable we are. Not only are the professors supportive and receptive to our needs, but also all of the faculty are here to help us get to where we want to be and feel good about it along the way. Whether it be walking into a professor’s office hours to ask question after question or brief conversations in the hallway when a faculty member asks “how are you?” and you know they truly want to know and help. The Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy is one of the top programs in the country for research and practice, but it is also a warm and close-knit community that supports its students every step of the way.

I am also thankful for finding occupational therapy because even as I feel stress and worried about my future, I have complete confidence that no matter what setting I work in or what population I choose to focus on, I will helping people. Whether it be getting somebody out of bed for the first time after having a stroke so they can brush their own teeth and hair or helping a child attend to an entire board game activity with a peer, I am grateful to get to be entering a profession that is client-centered, creative, and focuses on helping individuals live out their definition of a meaningful life. I will be making a difference in helping my clients do what is meaningful to them. Halfway through my second year of the Master’s program I keep getting wrapped up in the small details of due dates and exams, but this week has me stepping back to be grateful for being a future occupational therapist and member of the Trojan family. Fight on and Happy Thanksgiving!

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