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University of Southern California
University of Southern California
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
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Flashback To My First Year

Calvin

July 24, 2020
by
Calvin

Beginnings and Endings Community What are OS/OT?

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I remember walking onto the Health Sciences Campus on my first day and being really nervous about how I was going to meet new people. I remember I was almost late because I underestimated traffic, but I ended up making it even though I was dripping in panic sweat haha . . . I remember the insane amount of times when we would all introduce ourselves because there were just so many people to meet! I remember taking classes in the G-37 Auditorium, a.k.a. the frozen tundra in the CHP building, where I could always rely on the A.C. to be blasting. I remember how accomplished we all felt when we finished up our first summer semester. I remember starting my first immersion in mental health, engaging in my first Level I Fieldwork, and just spending good times with friends in the program! I remember it all!

Okay, Calvin, we get it; you remember stuff! What’s your point? Well, in just one year, I was able to experience and learn so much about the profession, myself, others, and beyond. However, I would have never guessed that we would all be where we are right now. It’s been a relatively challenging past few months with everything going on, but reflecting on the past year has really helped me stay motivated. These memories remind me why I’m here, and I’d like to take you all on a trip down memory lane to share some with you!

Family at White Coat Ceremony

My parents and I at the USC Chan 2019 White Coat Ceremony.

The ones who make every impossible in my life, possible: my parents. They’ve always supported me in every endeavor and I’m forever grateful for them! Big love to my #1 fans!

Cohort B Collage

Top: Us acting natural! | Bottom: Us reaching towards Dr. Celso Delgado Jr. because these were our last few weeks with him in the mental health immersion 😢.

The best cohort, Cohort B(EST)!!! Sorry, I don’t make the rules ¯\_( ˘ ˘̯)_/¯.Huge shoutout to this phenomenal group of individuals! They are truly some of the most inspiring, funny, genuine, and authentic people I’ve ever met!

BrOTs! Male OT Students!

Just some BrOT Master’s students ~chilling out~ in the G-37 Auditorium! Photo credits: Christopher Chu MA ‘21.

All I can say is that I love this picture and this group of people LOL! By the way, you can actually see more of the division, virtually, thanks to the USC SMART-VR Virtual Reality Tour App that was co-created by Dr. Sook-Lei Liew!

OTAC Annual Conference 2019

USC Chan students and alumni at the 43rd Annual OTAC Conference in Pasadena, CA.

This was taken at the 2019 Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC) Annual Conference. This was my first OT conference ever and it was such a great time connecting with others, attending a variety of presentations, and just being surrounded by so many OT leaders!

Global Initiatives

Top: Global Initiatives Thanksgiving Dinner with BS-MA students, MA-1 students, MA-2 students, OTD students, and faculty. | Bottom: A virtual Zoom meeting between the USC Chan community and students from Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan.

The Global Initiatives Team has always been so welcoming and they’ve provided multiple opportunities to learn and have dialogue about a variety of international topics. I’m incredibly thankful to Global Initiatives for fostering such a vibrant community and for making my first year experience an unforgettable one!

OT Friends c/o 2021

Spending some good time with my OT classmates outside of class 😊!

I hope that this gave you all a good glimpse into what my first year in the program was like. Life is very different right now, but that shouldn’t stop us from making new and lasting memories!