Student Blog
What are OS/OT?

Into the Unknown: From Outer Space to OT ⟩
August 29, 2021, by Seth

Admissions What are OS/OT?

I wanted to see the stars.

As a kid I went through all of the answers to the question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and I thought I had it all figured out. To be fair, it wasn’t always so clear. There was the time I wanted to be an archaeologist and then an architect, but eventually as I grew and matured I settled on something a bit more nuanced; not an astronaut, but an aeronautical engineer! And I was determined to make it happen. From that moment on, I decided to commit myself and dive right into my high school’s engineering program. Maybe if I had looked further down the alphabet, and by that I mean, anything past the letter “A,” I could’ve saved some time and some sleepless nights. You live and you learn.

But at this point you must be confused, right? You’re on the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy student ambassador blog page and I’m here talking about space and high school. So what gives? What changed? To be honest, it was just by coincidence (followed by a lot of research). At that point in my life, I was so focused on building trebuchets and cardboard boats that I had light heartedly decided to interview for a week-long mock-government program for my U.S. History course. Everyone told me it would look good on an application so I applied and, you guessed it, I was waitlisted. Fortunately for me the event was being hosted at a local university so if anyone did not accept (and they didn’t) I was in!

I spent the week running for the mock-position of Ohio Attorney General. I ran my campaign, I took the Bar exam three times (and failed three times), and at the end of it all I ended up at the unemployment fair because I had lost the election. I ended up being appointed as the medical director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services where I spent the remaining days writing legislation, devising programming, and discovering what my passions really were.

I came back from the week not just to my house, but to the drawing board. I had a vague idea of what I was looking for (you know, the standard “helping others” umbrella) so I hit the ground running. I ended up on the CollegeBoard’s major database, selected the “helping others’’ filter, and went digging … through all 1,800 different majors … one by one. Then I made a list of twenty, did some more research, and settled on two: Speech and Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy. At that point, the choice became obvious. I just couldn’t go into S/LP after not doing the home exercise program a S/LP gave me so many years ago, I’d be a hypocrite! So OT it was.

From there, I applied to USC’s BS-MA program (now the BS-OTD) and I haven’t looked back. I fell head over heels with the idea that we are what we do, how we do it, and why. That these meaningful activities can impact our health and our quality of life. But most importantly, as I’ve continued along on my journey through OT, I’ve come to realize that the real stars weren’t in the sky, they are the people we work with, each of them glowing brightly with the possibility of their future and I am so appreciative that I can help them find their shine all while finding my own at the same time.

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The career that chooses you ⟩
May 21, 2021, by Arianna

What are OS/OT?

Occupational therapy has always been a part of my life. Growing up, I watched my mom (a Chan Division alumna) practice occupational therapy with my grandpas. My maternal grandpa suffered from a stroke and Lewy Body dementia. As I grew older, he was deteriorating. However, my mom dedicated countless days and nights to helping my grandpa live a more fulfilling life. Through research and therapy, she was able to help him maximize his independence.

The passion my mom put into her work was astounding. She spent hours inventing and creating tools for her patients and her dad to use. With admiration in my eyes,  I watched my mom cut up pool noodles, build tiny exercise equipment, and melt plastic to create a hand brace. Growing up in an environment where I was constantly exposed to OT inevitably helped spark my interest in the field.

Although I had an early interest in OT, I found myself wanting to explore other fields. I didn’t want to pursue the only career I had known. I looked into medicine, psychology, and even fashion designing! However, I didn’t feel the same passion and excitement when I researched fields outside of OT. I quickly realized that OT always was and forever will be the career for me. Even when I tried to diversify my interests, OT drew me back like a magnet as if the career was choosing me.

When I was almost 100 percent certain that I wanted to be an OT, I had to find some experience in the field. It was difficult for me to find hands-on opportunities to work alongside an OT. Therefore, I turned to a field of work that provides similar experiences: caregiving.

My first caregiving experience was in 2017 when I was a one-to-one aide for a boy with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Every week we met, I would set simple goals for him to achieve. For example, one week our goal would be “don’t put toys in your mouth”. If we were able to reach this goal, we would move on to a more challenging goal such as “don’t throw hard toys”. I loved my job and I worked with the same boy for two consecutive summers. I ended up becoming a certified caregiver so I could work more closely with him!

In 2019, I began caregiving for a young boy with Down syndrome. This experience put my creative thinking skills to the test because I ended up inventing a new game almost every day for us to play! Now I have many games that I hope to use with my future clients!

These opportunities helped reassure me that I made the right decision to pursue OT. As I begin my first year in the entry level master’s program, I look forward to exploring the endless number of specialties within the field of OT. These past three years studying OT have been some of the most fruitful years of my life and I cannot wait to continue the journey.

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Hola, Yo Soy un Terapeuta Ocupacional (Hello, I Am an OT) ⟩
May 11, 2021, by Daniel

Diversity First-Gen What are OS/OT?

“Hola, yo soy un terapeuta ocupacional . . .” (Hello, I am an occupational therapist). This is part of my weekly introduction with Spanish-speaking clients. It is also a reminder of the reason I pursued this profession, as well as the sacrifices my family and I have made over the last three years. Walking into a room or simply calling a new client and starting a conversation in Spanish puts a smile on my face. Every time I speak to one of my clients, I picture my mom and dad. It feels incredible to be able to advocate for people who come from a similar background as mine.

During my time at USC, I have shared many personal things with you all. I understand the privilege of being able to write and freely express myself on this platform. Not everyone gets this opportunity, so I wanted to show that my experience as an undocumented student is as valid as anyone’s. That it is okay for those reading to feel proud of their language, culture, and history. That you belong in this program and profession.

Today I write to you just a couple of days away from walking the stage for my doctoral program. It feels really strange to say that; I think it’s the impostor syndrome that lingers. My family and friends still need to remind me that this is a huge accomplishment and to take a moment to celebrate. But those who know me pretty well know that I think this is just another step in what’s to come. First-generation, undocumented students are capable of so much, and for me, it’s time to capitalize on that. This is the end of one journey but the beginning of a new one.

This grad school journey has not been easy at all. Some semesters I wasn’t even sure I would be back given the financial limitations and ongoing immigration rhetoric surrounding DACA. The people around me made it possible to pursue this dream. There are so many who helped me along the way, and I want to acknowledge them as best as possible.

Mi familia, gracias por todo, I love you so much. My parents are the most courageous people I know. Growing up, they always told my sister and me to study hard because we would end up like them if we didn’t. But as I grow older, all I want to do is be like them. Thank you to my sister and my girlfriend for always being there for me. The sleepless nights studying and finishing assignments was all for them.

The CSUN Dream Center, I am forever grateful for your mentorship and for giving me the confidence to even apply to USC. You made me believe that I could accomplish my goals despite my undocumented status.

Thank you to the Chan Division, Norman Topping Family, Latino Alumni Association, and Immigranted for supporting me when I had no idea how I would pay for OT school. You all made this moment possible.

Thank you to the LRCC Research Lab and the Student Ambassadors team; it has been an honor to work with two outstanding teams. During the pandemic, these two teams faced many obstacles, adjusted, and we got things done! I have worked with two of the best bosses in the Chan Division, Kim Kho and Dr. Beth Pyatak.

Thank you to all my classmates who challenged me and helped me grow. A special thank you to Katie Bui and Marilyn Rodriguez, two people who always had my back since day one.

Lastly, a special thank you to Dr. Celso Delgado (el profe). You became a mentor to me throughout this entire OT experience. You reminded me that I belong in these spaces, that a Latinx kid from Van Nuys could make it.

So, this it! I have never been good at saying goodbye; I tend to simply move on and take on whatever is next. I want to take a final moment to honor my ancestors and the generational sacrifices that it took for me to get to this point. This right here is what our parents believed in as they decided to migrate. But I don’t want to be remembered as “the successful immigrant” because all immigrants, undocumented people, etc. deserve the same level of respect and acknowledgment as the “educated ones.” I had different opportunities and circumstances. Para toda mi gente Latinx y indocumentada, este logro es por todos ustedes, nosotros seguiremos luchando y echandole ganas. Although I don’t know for certain what my future looks like in this country, I do know one thing, that I will always continue to Fight On! No one can ever take away what I’ve accomplished these past years and my soon-to-be title, Dr. Daniel Padilla Vega.

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Not All Goodbyes Are Bitter ⟩
May 10, 2021, by Lamoni

Beginnings and Endings Diversity What are OS/OT?

I cannot believe graduation is this week! We often view goodbyes as a gloomy moment, but it does not have to be that way. Some goodbyes are actually good! For me, this goodbye means that it is time to close one chapter as I transition to another. But it does not necessarily mean that I am parting ways. Everything that I have gained will stay with me — the friends, memories, experiences, knowledge, professional relationships. I will cherish them no less than I do now.

Here was August of 2019 at our whitecoat ceremony. That was an extra special day because we defeated the treacherous (I mean, “intensive”) first summer! We were glowing because we finally got some rest. After putting on that whitecoat, my OT journey officially began. I stood next to some pretty Rockstar people too! Knowing that I would enter a career field with them was comforting. I have found that It is the people around you that truly make your experiences great.

To all of my friends (within the program and outside of it), thank you for being by my side, thank you for understanding when I missed your call, thank you for staying on the phone with me for 3+ hours when I returned your call, thank you for sending me housewarming gifts when I first moved to California, thank you for sending me words of encouragement while I studied for the GRE, thank you for studying at Norris Library with me and creating bizarre mnemonics, thank you for going to the flower district with me and helping me become a plant mother, thank you for game nights and movie nights. Thank you for being my friend.

Not to be dramatic with the picture captions but, my parents are my Day 1’s! My biggest supporters! My everything! Thank you to my mom and dad for all that you have done and continue to do. Though neither of you pursued college and thus, do not have first hand experience about the challenges, you have done everything in your power to support my higher education (even if that meant accepting that I would move 2k miles away TWICE). No matter how far, I have always felt your warmth. I am so incredibly thankful to have parents like you. Nothing I can say or do will accurately show how much I love you.

To my team: We did not know exactly what we were signing up for. Chan has never had a set of ambassadors through a COVID pandemic. But, we did that! Along with LOTS of help from Kim Kho (the most caring supervisor ever), we figured it out. Thank you all for being so helpful, collaborative, and fun! It has been a pleasure to work with you, share a group chat with you, and share a meal with you. This experience would not be the same without you. 

I will admit, my eyes watered a bit while reflecting and writing out my thank you’s. But, it was happy tears! I just feel so incredibly grateful to have such amazing people in my life. My experience as a USC Chan Master’s student was phenomenal because of YOU! Thank you to everyone that has read my blogs, left comments, and written emails. It has been so special to connect with you all in this way. Keep on fighting on!

With all my love,
Lamoni

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Dear Younger Me, ⟩
May 6, 2021, by Bethany

What are OS/OT?

Dear Younger Me,

Where do I start? It is surreal that graduation is in one week! And what a ride this past year has been: home life, school work, and everything in between. I remember moving home at the end of senior year, frustrated at the lack of closure. But every cloud has a silver lining. Can I give you some advice? Hold tightly to every small moment. Cherish watching NCIS with Mom and Dad every night and the regular conversations with them over dinner and walking the dog. Have fun painting your childhood room a color other than purple. Talk with grandma over a socially-distanced meal. It’s amazing that you get to spend this year so close to your family support. And even though it’ll take some time to see them in person again, watch to see which friends you continue to text and FaceTime, the friends that you complain to when life happens. Rekindle old friendships (what better time than an online world?). And thank all of them for getting you through a crazy year.

You’re also a student ambassador! You get to work with an incredibly talented team (that you’ll meet in person eventually!) with the most supportive boss. These are amazing people. Take advantage of the time that you get to work with them, and learn from them. Be creative and honest in your work, and have fun!

This year will fly by faster than you know, and you’ll be closer to being an OT than ever before. During classes and during your first Fieldwork II, be observant and flexible. Build relationships with current (and future) OTs and learn from different perspectives. It’s scary to have to do actual OT things, but you got this! The fifth and final year of this program brings a lot to look forward to.

And keep growing as a human. Can’t wait to see where this next year and beyond will take ya. 😉

Fight On Forever.
Sincerely,
Me

P.S. To the others reading this letter: Thank you to my fellow ambassadors for being an amazing team and to Kim for bringing us all together. Thank you to my family and friends for being there for me. And readers, I hope you’ve had fun and learned about USC and OT; thanks for keeping up with me. Keep being your amazing selves. Much love. <3

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