OT Students share experiences after attending the
OTAC Conference and Alumni Reception
Jacqueline Koh, OTS
The CSUDH Alumni Event at the OTAC Annual Conference was held on October 2014 at the Pasadena
Hilton, where many of the current students mingled with alums, faculty and staff. Representatives from
various CSUDH student cohorts shared their wisdom and experiences, a DJ was present to take personal
song requests, the cash bar was frequented by many, and there was even line dancing lessons with choreography by our very own student admin! I entered the student centerpiece competition and won a very
nice waterproof CSUDH OT jacket for first place. Finally, near the end of the night we received a special
visit from the OTAC keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Iwama, who was immediately adopted into the CSUDH
family as a temporary alumni honoree. The next day, thanks to the generosity of a SOTA OTAC scholarship, I was able to attend the Student Track sessions at the OTAC Conference. It was a great opportunity to
listen to professionals in the field share their knowledge and experiences, meet fellow students from other
OT schools, and load up on free merchandise from the different vendor booths! The entire weekend was a
great bonding experience and made me really proud to be part of such a wonderful OT community.
Ashok Sadasivaiah, OTS
On the evening of October 17th, I had the pleasure of acting as the Master of Ceremonies for the CSUDH
OTAC Alumni Reception at the Pasadena Hilton. This event brought together CSUDH faculty members
and students of past and present. As we heard from our faculty, now practicing occupational therapists
from Cohorts 2 through 10, and current students representing Pi Theta Epsilon and SOTA, it was inspiring
to see and hear all the amazing things members of the CSUDH OT family are accomplishing in both academics and clinical practice. In addition, their words and experiences were a testament to how far the profession has advanced in the past decade and how much more it will continue to do so in the coming years.
In truly occupationally balanced fashion, the night concluded with food, drinks, conversation, laughter,
and perhaps most memorably, a choreographed group dance routine. All in all, the night was a success and
an excellent reminder for those of us still in school that upon graduation, we will be joining the ranks of an
enormously talented community of CSUDH Occupational Therapy alumni.
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