Student Blog
Getting Involved

Outreach ⟩
October 15, 2012, by Amber

Getting Involved

One of the neat things I get to do as a student ambassador is represent USC’s occupational therapy program at outside conferences and events. This weekend, I went to the University of California in Irvine to participate in an event for pre-health undergraduate students. There were over 400 students in attendance and dozens of exhibitors from different organizations representing medicine, nursing, public health, and many other disciplines. It was fun to be an exhibitor and meet students from another university. Many wanted to know exactly what occupational therapists do, and several were already excited to join the profession. Leave me a comment below if you want to see USC OT at your school!

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OTAC Conference ⟩
October 8, 2012, by Amber

Getting Involved

This weekend I attended the 36th annual conference of the Occupational Therapy Association of California in Pasadena, CA. The theme of the conference was “In Pursuit of the Vision: Evidence and Action,” referring to issues that will affect the profession in light of health care reform, budget reductions, and other legislative issues. I attended the conference sessions and also had the opportunity to work at the USC Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy booth. The USC booth was buzzing all weekend with alumni and prospective students. It was wonderful to see people reuniting and catching up on each other’s lives. The conference sessions I attended were part of the “student track,” which focused on topics relevant to students such as NBCOT certification. After hours, there were plenty of opportunities for networking and having fun with fellow students and future colleagues. I can’t wait for next year’s conference!

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“That which you call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet” ⟩
October 5, 2012, by Alisa

Community Getting Involved

The week started out pretty interesting as I made my first club presentation! Troy Camp, the oldest and most diverse student organization, puts on many programs for kids in the neighborhoods, including a week-long camp. Before I made my presentation, every member there had to do a roll call. It was interesting to hear everyone’s nick names such as “Maverick,” “Timber,” “Cracker Jack,” and “Chumbawamba.” I was involved in a few organizations when I was an undergrad, but I was never given a nickname. It’s clever that Troy Camp gives every member a nickname. It offers personalization and a sense of belonging in the organization. A few weeks ago when my friends and I celebrated a friend’s birthday at a Thai restaurant, Hae Ha Heng, we decided to give each other pseudonyms. My friends thought I look like a “Rose,” which I didn’t object to. A lot of my clothes have flowers in them, my flip flops have floral embellishments, and I wear flowers in my hair sometimes. It’s quite fitting, isn’t it? I actually have a nickname that was given to me by my mom. In the Thai culture, everyone that I know of has a nickname that is given by the parents. Nicknames can range from names of foods, colors, body parts, etc. My mom gave me the nickname “Joy,” but since no one really called me that, my younger cousin adopted that name, so my identity was stolen. Not really. Thai people just call me “Sa,” shortened from my full name “Alisa,” which can also be a Thai name! My mom is so witty when she named me. While she was shopping for her wedding dress, she came across this amazing dress that was worn by Alisa, a famous Thai actress-model, who had just worn the dress on the runway, featuring wedding gowns. So, readers, how about your names? Have you ever asked how your name came to be? Let’s hear it.

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Getting To Know Our Fellow Students ⟩
October 2, 2012, by Amber

Community Getting Involved

The Occupational Therapy and Science Council (OTSC) is a student organization that focuses on social interaction and helping USC OT students to achieve the work-life balance that we know is so important. The purpose of OTSC is threefold: 1) to represent student interests within our division and the university as a whole, 2) to provide opportunities to network and socialize, and 3) to create volunteer and fundraising opportunities. At the beginning of the semester we elected a new council. Our first event of the semester was a tailgate in conjunction with the Physical Therapy department. This weekend, we had a bonfire at the beach for the purpose of introducing the new students to the rest of the class. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire, played games, and got to know each other. Leave me a comment if you have any great bonfire or campfire experiences!

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Life Rolls On ⟩
September 17, 2012, by Amber

Diversity Getting Involved What are OS/OT?

This weekend I volunteered for a wonderful organization called Life Rolls On. This foundation is near and dear to the heart of my classmate Marisa, and she regularly recruits students from the occupational therapy program to volunteer their time. According to their website, Life Rolls On is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for young people affected by spinal cord injury and utilizes action sports as a platform to demonstrate the infinite possibilities beyond paralysis. More than 1.2 million people in the United States have sustained spinal cord injury and approximately 6 million Americans live with a form of paralysis. A subsidiary of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, the organization was founded by Jesse Billauer, a professional surfer and motivational speaker who established Life Rolls On after he sustained a spinal cord injury while surfing.

The event this weekend was called They Will Surf Again and took place in La Jolla, just north of San Diego. Approximately 50 individuals of all ages (3-63) with spinal cord injuries became surfers for the day. A team of hundreds of volunteers mobilized to organize the surfers, help them into wetsuits, and take them into the water. The surfboards were adapted with short rails and the surfers lay on their stomachs. A team of volunteers took them dozens of feet offshore and pushed them into perfect waves. It was a sunny day and the conditions were beautiful, so many surfers enjoyed very long rides. It was inspirational to see their accomplishment and a joy to see their faces beaming with excitement.

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