ACC Spotlight: Marie Margarett Angeles

If the Student Occupational Therapy Association group from American Career College-Orange County holds an event, Marie Margarett Angeles will likely be there. She probably helped organized it.

In October, Angeles is being recognized by the California Foundation of Occupational Therapy for her extensive volunteer experience while attending ACC-Orange County.

This April, the student OTA program raised more than $750 for the Triumph Foundation's annual summer games in Santa Clarita. During national OT month, Angeles and her cohort led on-campus fundraisers including a super hero dress-up day.

Angeles became interested in OT after her brother was diagnosed with autism and had nine years of occupational therapy.

“This program helped me to help my brother and my family to understand more, how to communicate with him, how to help him and how he can be independent in his occupations,” she said.

Angeles initially wanted to work with children, but after her experience with the Triumph Foundation, she is considering working with spinal cord patients. In the meantime, she said, she still volunteers with the organization and will continue to do so after she graduates.

“If there’s an event, volunteer for it. For me, I’m so happy I’m in the OT program because this experience, seeing the people, learning, people thanking you, it’s so rewarding,” she said. "It’s nice to be in school but experience, volunteering outside of class, fieldwork, it’s going to open your mind to so much more.”

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What's the best part about being an occupational therapy assistant?

Opening my eyes to how I can help more people, opening my eyes to how Occupational Therapy matters to everybody. How occupation is the daily basis of everyone. How I can help my brother and my family every day, and how I can help other people too.

What's the biggest misconception about occupational therapy?

We have limited things we can do. That's so not true. OT is -- it's like the minute a person wakes up, whatever they do next -- that's occupational therapy. We do a variety of everything: from grooming to meal preparation to anything you can name. Functional mobility, anything a person wants to do.

What advice do you have for new students?

Always, always experience. If there's an event, go out — experience. If you need anything, if you have questions, go to your professor. It helped me a lot. It really helped me like if I was like confused or had questions that I don't understand, I go to them and ask 'How do I do this? How do I approach it?' I always take on that with my professors. I ask them, I volunteer as much as I can. Experience is No. 1.

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