Student Blog
Living in LA

128th Rose Parade ⟩
January 18, 2017, by JRoe

Getting Involved Living in LA

We had a float in the Rose Parade and it was the coolest!

In case you missed it, there was a float in the 128th Rose Parade on January 2nd celebrating the centennial of occupational therapy. You read that right, the centennial. Occupational therapy was founded in 1917. We have been raising money for the float for a long time now and it was rewarding to see the finished product. The float featured images of OTs working with patients. One image featured our very own Erwin with another USC student who sustained a spinal cord injury and lives in the OT House! There was also a replica of the Hull House where OT was born. Those riding the float were occupational therapists, including the former chair of the division, Dr. Florence Clark, and those who have received OT services.

I was able to volunteer to decorate the float on a very rainy New Year’s Eve. It was an exciting day with lots of commotion between volunteers, tours, and judges. I brought my parents to join in the fun and we helped glue the eucalyptus leaves on the roof of the Hull House. We also were able to see some of the other floats up close. It’s amazing to see the detail and the fresh flowers are beautiful!

My parents and I also went to the Rose Parade to see the float in action and the USC Band! What a great day to be an OT and a Trojan with that win at the Rose Bowl!

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Smell the Roses ⟩
January 17, 2017, by Erwin

Community Living in LA What are OS/OT?

Exciting things were happening in the world of OT during the holidays. On January 2nd, occupational therapy had the honor of having a float at the 128th Tournament of Roses Parade.

If you didn’t know, 2017 marks 100 years of occupational therapy. That’s an awesome achievement for our profession and a testament to OT’s contributions to society. The float is a celebration of our wonderful profession and provided exposure about what OT is to the millions of people that watch the Rose Parade.

In anticipation for our 100 years as a profession, the American Occupational Therapy Association decided on a centennial vision:

“We envision that occupational therapy is a powerful, widely recognized, science-driven, evidence-based profession with a globally connected and diverse workforce meeting society’s occupational needs.”

This float was an excellent opportunity to support our profession in meeting its centennial vision of being “widely recognized” and “globally connected”!

This float could not been done without the support of the Occupational Therapy Association of California, which sponsored the float, and its volunteers. Many USC faculty members and students dedicated their time to help with this awesome project, and being one of those volunteers, I can proudly say it was worth the time and effort! Read more about the float.

Here are some photos of the float and the volunteers that helped to make this float possible.

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Home for the Holidays ⟩
December 22, 2016, by Kimmy

Life Hacks Living in LA

I never thought that I would be so far from home. As a New York native, California was far from my future plans — both geographically and idealistically. Little did I know, USC would win me over and become my home, 3000 miles away from home.

Admittedly, my first few months were challenging. I came from a small town and went to school with classmates I had known for the past 12 years. But then, slowly but surely, I found myself enveloped in and invigorated by the Trojan Family. I joined a sorority, I participated in student organizations, I buried my nose in the book stacks of Doheny, and I cheered on the football team.

But New York is always my home base. My parents lend their ears when I need to vent. My brother offers advice to guide my way. My friends make me laugh even in the midst of midterms. A simple text message can traverse the vastness of the country, making distance virtually nonexistent.

And the holidays provide the perfect reason to physically traverse the country, enduring the bus-plane-car trio to finally land back in my twin size bed. Though my trips home have become less frequent each successive year, they have not become any less meaningful. It is now my first time home in a year, since I was in Utah for fieldwork over summer break. During these three weeks, I will soak up as much winter cheer as I can.

One of my favorite New York winter sights!

Though leaving home may be difficult at times (as is graduate school), I have no regrets about my decision. With friends that feel like family and an education to prepare me for my future, USC has truly become my home away from home. That being said, of course there is no place like home!

If you have any questions about moving out of state for OT school, please do not hesitate to reach out. 😊

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Resources for USC students ⟩
November 18, 2016, by Erwin

Community Getting Involved Living in LA School/Life Balance

Being a Trojan has its perks. In addition to getting a top-notch degree in occupational therapy, USC also offers students unique opportunities to make their time here truly one-of-a-kind.

Some of the amazing things that USC has to offer include athletic special events, concerts, theatre, distinguished speakers, and jazz series. Personally, I try to take advantage of all of these opportunities — especially USC football.

USC also provides opportunities to get involved through community outreach, cultural committees, and leadership. Specifically in the division, students can get involved in various programs. Many students that live in the OT House are involved in Engage, a program that works with at-risk adolescents by giving them an opportunity to participate in diverse activities. Other division organizations include the Latino Occupational Therapy Association, Occupational Therapy and Science Council, and Student-Run Clinic.

Here’s me with the other members of the Occupational Therapy and Science Council!

USC is also invested in your wellness, which is awesome because that is what occupational therapy is all about! USC students have access to both the Lyon Center and Soto gyms, recreational sports, the Eric Cohen Student Health Center, and of course, USC Occupational Therapy’s own Lifestyle Redesign®.

Lastly, being a student at USC also means you have all of beautiful Southern California to your disposal. Los Angeles has a lot to offer: museums, concerts, sports, and did I mention the food?!?! My classmates and I have bonded so much in the past year and we’ve been able to go to places unique to Southern California. Not many OT students get to say they visit Disneyland, go to Lakers and Dodger games, beach trips, and explore LA on their free time.

Here at USC, there’s always an opportunity to do the things that you find meaningful!

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Thanksgiving Potluck 2016 ⟩
November 14, 2016, by Raisa

Community International Living in LA

Can you believe that we only have about two more months to go before 2016 ends?! That also means that the fall semester ends in around 5 weeks! Yikes!

So November is here! Time to enjoy the cooling weather and fun fall activities. One notable fall event that should not be missed is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a traditional American holiday that is usually celebrated on the fourth thursday of November. However, thanksgiving came early for us this year. The MA-1 students were able to celebrate together on the beach, in true California fashion, all thanks to the efforts of Global Initiatives and Dr. Erna Blanche. The day was filled with fun, sand, waves and lots of food. Traditionally Thanksgiving would be celebrated with a whole oven roasted turkey, but we decided to take a trip around the world. Since it was a potluck, the class each shared a dish from their country. We had dishes from India, Taiwan, Philippines, Korea, Scotland, Italy and America, our bellies were stuffed! After the festivities, and a nice game of charades we headed out to the beach to watch the sunset. Needless to say it was beautiful. The sound of the waves crashing, the colors of the sun setting and the changing sky were magical. It was truly a beautiful end to such a lovely day.

On behalf of the MA-1 class I would like to extend our gratitude to Global Initiatives and Dr. Erna Blanche for hosting and coordinating this thanksgiving potluck for the class. It was a lovely day, and great way to get to know everyone through their food as well as culture.

Here are some pictures from our trip (all photos used with permission from owners, Arielle Villanueva and Kathryna Gomez).

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