Student Blog
Beginnings and Endings

Feeling Brand New Going Into Year 2! ⟩
August 30, 2026, by Kayla

Beginnings and Endings Community Living in LA School/Life Balance

It’s hard to believe that I’m already starting my second year of grad school! When I first started this journey, I knew OT school would challenge me, but I didn’t fully understand just how much I would learn not only about occupational therapy, but also about myself. As I get ready to head back to school, I’ve been reflecting on my first year, what I learned, and what I’m looking forward to during this next chapter.

My first year of OT school was filled with new friendships, new experiences, and a boat load of caffeine. One of the biggest things I learned was being grateful to be able. Able to be independent but also learn how to help others be independent as well. There were definitely moments when I was questioning if I could even make it out, but those experiences taught me resilience and I didn’t come this far to only come this far.

One of my favorite memories from my first year was attending the LA Kings game together as a cohort because it was my first hockey game but also a great way for us to get to know one another outside of the classroom. Looking back, I’m proud of myself for surviving in a completely new city and just finishing out the year successfully.

If you’re starting your first year of OT school, here are a few things I wish I had known:

1. You don’t have to know everything right away. OT school is a learning process, and it’s okay to ask questions and make mistakes.
2. Find your people. Having classmates, friends, professors, or mentors who understand what you’re going through can make a huge difference.
3. Give yourself grace. There will be difficult exams, long assignments, and days when you feel overwhelmed. One difficult day doesn’t define your ability to become a great OT.
4. Remember why you started. When school gets stressful, reconnect with the reason you chose occupational therapy in the first place.
5. Celebrate the small wins. Getting through a difficult exam, mastering a new skill, completing a project, or simply making it through a busy week are all accomplishments worth recognizing.

As I start my second year of OT school, I’m feeling excited, nervous, motivated, grateful, a combination of them all.

There’s still a long way to go before I can officially call myself an occupational therapist, but I’m proud of how far I’ve already come. Here’s to another year of learning, growing, making memories, and getting one step closer to becoming an OT!

What are you most looking forward to this school year?

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What Is the USC Chan PP-OTD Really Like? Three Things I Didn’t Fully Appreciate Before I Started ⟩
August 12, 2026, by Cindy

Beginnings and Endings Classes

Is a PP-OTD worth it after you’ve already started working as an occupational therapist? That was a question I asked myself before returning to USC Chan. I had practiced as an occupational therapist in both Taiwan and California for about three years, working in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities. Returning to school would be a significant investment of time, energy, and resources, so I wanted the experience to offer something that clinical practice alone could not.

For my PP-OTD residency, I joined the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice, where I received training in Lifestyle Redesign® while developing a residency project focused on supporting international students as they adapt to life in the United States. Now, as I finish the program, here are three things I didn’t fully appreciate before I started.

1. My residency project became more than an assignment.

At the beginning of the year, my goals were straightforward: become a more proficient clinician, complete my residency project, and graduate. But somewhere along the way, my project stopped feeling like a graduation requirement.

I began with questions I had been thinking about since my PP-MA program: Why might international students participate less in meaningful occupations after moving to a new country, even when they know how to access them? Can occupational therapy support international students? Through my PP-OTD coursework in leadership, knowledge mobilization, and occupational science, that question gradually became tangible initiatives. I built partnerships with stakeholders, developed resources, and created tools that will continue to support international students after my residency ends.

Seeing an idea grow into something that could have a life beyond my degree gave the project a sense of purpose I hadn’t anticipated.

2. I finally had the opportunity to intentionally bring occupational science into my practice.

Occupational science has always been one of my favorite parts of occupational therapy. But as a practicing clinician, I rarely had the time or opportunity to intentionally explore what an occupational science question could look like in practice.

My residency gave me the space to synthesize occupational science, evidence, and people’s lived experiences to explore international students’ lived experiences through an occupational science lens and how Lifestyle Redesign could support international students navigating major life transitions.

At the same time, my clinical residency at the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice gave me the opportunity to deepen my knowledge and hands-on practice of Lifestyle Redesign. The training and clinical experience helped me build toward certification. I accumulated the required practice hours, studied extensively for the certification exam, and ultimately passed it. It was a goal I had been working toward since I first learned about Lifestyle Redesign in 2019. Achieving my dream of becoming an occupational therapist specializing in Lifestyle Redesign is incredibly meaningful to me.

3. Leadership became something I practiced — not just something I studied.

Before the PP-OTD, “leadership” felt like something that might come later in my career. After all, I am still an early-career occupational therapist.

But the program showed me that leadership doesn’t have to begin with a title. During my residency, I reached out to university partners, listened to stakeholder feedback, adapted my ideas, developed educational resources, and learned how to move an idea from evidence to implementation.

I’ve always hoped to create an impact beyond individual client care. The PP-OTD didn’t just teach me about that possibility but also gave me opportunities to start practicing it.

Returning to school was a much bigger commitment than I imagined when I started. I entered the PP-OTD hoping to deepen my clinical practice, and I am leaving with specialized training in an area I care deeply about and a broader set of skills to grow into an occupational therapy leader. For me, the value of the PP-OTD has been learning how to provide meaningful care while also developing occupational-centered programs, translating knowledge into practice, and creating change beyond individual treatment sessions.

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Finding Your Balance in Graduate School: Advice from an E-OTD Student ⟩
August 4, 2026, by Marilyn

Beginnings and Endings Classes Getting Involved School/Life Balance

Starting graduate school can feel exciting, overwhelming, and everything in between. While everyone’s experience is different, here are a few things that have helped me navigate life as a USC Chan E-OTD student and that I hope will help you as you begin your own journey.

One piece of advice I’d give to any incoming USC Chan student is to never be afraid to ask questions.

Before starting the E-OTD program, I completed my Master’s in Public Health (MPH) at USC, but my experience was very different because it was mostly online. Being in an in-person program has shown me just how approachable the faculty are. Your professors, advisors, and job supervisors genuinely want to see you succeed, not just as a student, but as a future occupational therapist. Go to office hours, ask questions in class, or even stop by to say hello. You never know where those conversations might lead, and who knows, they may even become your future colleagues someday.

Another thing I really appreciated about the program is the flexibility with scheduling. Before your first semester, you’ll be able to choose your preferred schedule from the four options provided, making it easier to find one that works with your life, whether you commute, work, or have responsibilities outside of school. No matter which schedule you’re assigned, everyone takes the same core classes and completes the same immersions; the timing of those immersions is just different depending on your schedule. Later in the program, you’ll also have the opportunity to take electives based on your interests.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that having a life outside of school isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. One of my favorite occupations is spending time with the people I care about, whether that’s classmates, old coworkers, lifelong friends, or family. Even something as simple as grabbing lunch or planning a beach day helps me recharge.

Just as important are the moments I spend by myself. Working out, reading a book, dancing around my room, or taking myself out for coffee or a meal are all ways I practice self-care and protect my mental well-being. As much as I love school, I know I’d burn out without that balance. I’m definitely a planner (my friends and family can attest to that!), so I intentionally make time for fun alongside studying. I’m far from perfect, and I can absolutely be a perfectionist, but every day I try to find those small moments to pause, breathe, and remind myself that taking care of myself is just as important as preparing to take care of others.

Graduate school is a journey, and while it can be challenging at times, remember to give yourself grace, celebrate the little wins, and enjoy the experience along the way.

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The Occupations That Make Me Who I Am ⟩
April 23, 2026, by Makayla

Beginnings and Endings School/Life Balance What are OS/OT?

In honor of OT month, I would like to share a piece reflecting on how my engagement and participation have contributed to my daily routines, roles, and identity. As an undergraduate senior set to graduate next month, I am very much in an introspective and contemplative period as my time here at USC is numbered. I want to reflect on my occupations, the meaningful activities that occupy my time, and the collective experiences that have made me who I am today.

Shooting film photography is an occupation that has supported my identity since I was a child, and it involves using a point-and-shoot film camera to capture memorable moments, whether it be with friends, family, nature, or my life as it plays out. The nature of film photography is that it can be an intentional or spontaneous activity where I am able to express my creativity and capture candid shots. Something special about my own film camera is that it was passed down from my dad, who captured film of his own life as well. The element of surprise when I review my developed film is what makes film photography so enjoyable because it is not viewable in the moment, so you never know what to expect or how one moment of my life was captured. Over the years I have acquired countless photographs, from when I was little up until now, that have captured candid memories that can take me back to a brief moment in my life whenever I reflect upon them.

My practice of shooting film photography contributes to my own identity, as I am a very sentimental person. This extends into my collection of photos, shirts, and other trinkets that are reminiscent of enjoyable past experiences. As a result, this trait can manifest in how I interact with people or people I had known previously, acknowledging our prior experiences or history of knowing each other before. I always come back to photos and these memorabilia to reflect on how I lived out those experiences and how different a person I was.

Additionally, creativity is central to my identity, as I capture photographs stemming from my inner imagination to craft the best representation of the important events in my life. A photo never changes, even when the people in it do. With a few clicks of a button, I embrace the side of me that never wants to stop crafting and creating the perfect shots while having tangible items to be remembered by.

In this current day and age, while it is easier to use your phones in capturing photos of much higher quality, I see using film photography as preserving tradition, and I believe that there is power in raw memories when you cannot see them right away. I recognize how associations from the past are able to reinvoke new meanings through a present lens. I realize that longing for past memories is a mark of a life well-lived, and in the face of life’s ups and downs, these memories serve as a reminder that better days are to come with different people, places, and contexts.

Going to the beach is another occupation that has supported my identity, and this entails riding my bike on the strand, walking my dog, sharing a meal with a friend, tanning on the sand with a good book in hand, celebrating birthdays, or swimming in the ocean’s waves. Because I live close to the beach, it has become central to my identity, as it contributes to my sense of leisure through relaxation and rejuvenation, while other times it offers me physical health benefits through exercise and vitamin D. My participation at the beach contributes to my identity as a Southern California native because when I gaze upon the beach, I recognize what a privilege it is to savor these moments and be able to share the beauty of nature with so many close friends, relatives, and fellow beachgoers as well. Participating in different activities at the beach contributes to my identity as a nostalgic and introspective person, where I can prioritize my mental well-being while basking in nature’s solace, as well as recognize how many different versions of myself have been to the beach for different capacities.

Attending concerts is an occupation that has supported my identity, and this activity involves seeing a musical artist’s performance at a venue while I am accompanied by friends or family. The concert experience for me can include dressing up, buying merchandise, and singing along to the musical artist that performs. Seeing a musical artist in person is a surreal experience for me because I am able to reflect on the moments where I am listening to them in my own day-to-day life. Seeing them before my eyes, singing live, is exciting and a full-circle experience to me. My participation in concert-going is reflective of my musical expressions that are central to my identity, as I feel deeply compelled by the emotions and song lyrics that the musical artist sings.

Participating in the collective effervescence of the concert experience contributes to my sense of social closeness, and these experiences, alongside other music fans, contribute to my identity in belonging, community, and deep emotional connection through musical curation. Collective effervescence at a concert entails synchronized singing, dancing, clapping, or cheering that follows concert norms and social etiquette. Concert-going is not only an occupation for community gathering, belonging, and mutual appreciation for artistry and culture, but it also reflects life’s realities and experiences around us.

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Small Wins, Big Impact: Everyday Success Stories in Occupational Therapy ⟩
April 22, 2026, by Angel

Beginnings and Endings Patient Care School/Life Balance What are OS/OT?

Progress does not always look like big milestones. Sometimes, it looks like a child tying her hair for the first time.

During my pediatric OT work in the Philippines, I’ve learned that progress often shows up in the smallest, most meaningful ways.

I once worked with a young girl who wanted to tie her own hair at school. What seemed like a simple routine was actually a complex task that challenged her fine motor skills, executive functioning, motor planning, and visual perceptual abilities. Each attempt required coordination, sequencing, and persistence, but also patience, resilience, and courage to keep trying.

At school, this was not just about her appearance. It was about independence. There were times when she did not have a caregiver or teacher available to help her, and something as routine as tying her hair became a barrier to her participation and confidence.

So we practiced again and again. We broke the task down into manageable steps, used repetition, and built strategies that worked for her. Progress was not immediate, and there were moments of frustration. But then one day, she did it. She tied her hair on her own.

That moment may seem small to others, but it was everything to her. It meant she could take care of herself at school. It meant confidence, autonomy, and a sense of accomplishment she could carry into other parts of her day.

Experiences like this remind me that occupational therapy is not just about teaching skills. It is about creating access to everyday life. In my journey from practicing internationally to continuing my training in the United States, I have come to appreciate small wins in my own life. As a student, it may look like understanding a challenging concept, communicating with classmates despite language barriers, or building confidence in clinical reasoning. As a person, it can be as simple as adapting to a new environment, finding my voice, or continuing to grow through change.

This Occupational Therapy Month, I invite you to look closer at the small wins. Whether it is tying hair, buttoning a shirt, returning to work, or simply getting through a difficult day, these moments build toward something bigger.

Because in occupational therapy, small wins create lasting impact.

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