OT Student Receives TOTA Student Leadership Award
Published December 9, 2022
By Darlene Muguiro
UTEP College of Health Sciences
Marcelo Pena, a third-year student in the Occupational Therapy Program, has received the Texas Occupational Therapy Association’s 2022 Student Leadership Award. Pena was nominated for the award by TOTA’s Rio Grande District Chair, Kaleigh Stevens, and selected from among all other applicants across the state of Texas.
Annually, TOTA reviews recommendation letters for the award and selects the candidate who best demonstrates leadership through both participation in local or state professional OT organizations as well as participation in community projects that impact individuals served by the OT profession. Pena has recently served as both the TOTA student representative for UTEP and the president for the Student Occupational Therapy Association, which conducts fundraising and service learning activities throughout the year to promote a better understanding of the profession in the community as well as the professional development of its members.
The prestige of receiving the competitive award is not lost on Pena, who says he was humbled and surprised by the notification.
“I felt very grateful when I was first notified about the award, particularly because I wasn’t even aware I had been nominated,” he said. “I also found out on my birthday!”
Pena will graduate in spring 2023 with the last cohort of the Master of Occupational Therapy Program, which has now transitioned to the Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree. Following graduation, he plans to continue advocating for the profession while developing his skills as a practicing OT.
“I haven’t decided in which setting I would like to practice, but I do plan to get as much hands-on experience as I can,” he said. “Another option I’ve considered is to rejoin the Army as an occupational therapist.”
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Go Miners!
For more information about the UTEP Occupational Therapy Program, please visit: www.utep.edu/chs/ot/.
Photo courtesy of Marcelo Pena