Gabriella Amaya’s passion for occupational therapy stems not simply from a deep desire to be of service to others. “It’s about building and regaining people’s independence by doing the things they love most and need to do,” she says.
“I have so much drive for doing the best I can in my own life. I want to help my future patients do the same and to live to their fullest capacity, no matter what their circumstances might be.”
Amaya grew up in North Hollywood, Calif., but moved to Palmdale in her senior year of high school. She graduated from California State University, Northridge, in 2021 with a degree in child development. She’s currently in the second year of CSUDH’s graduate program in OT.
Her academic accomplishments have earned Amaya a 2024 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement—the system’s highest recognition of student achievement. It provides annual scholarships to one student from each CSU campus who demonstrates high academic achievement, personal accomplishments, community service, and financial need.
“It is with tremendous joy and great pride that I celebrate the outstanding achievements and extraordinary perseverance of this year’s Trustees’ Scholars,” said CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia in announcing the awards.
“Through the visionary generosity of our donors, the CSU is able to uplift and support these diverse students and truly outstanding scholars who have overcome personal and educational hardships in pursuit of a college degree that will not only transform their lives, but will also elevate their families and strengthen their communities.”
Amaya says she’s grateful for being named this year’s recipient of the Trustees’ Award scholarship. “I’ve always believed that great things unfold with hard work and resilience, regardless of what background you come from,” she says. “I am a first-generation college student raised in a low-income, single-mother household. Anything is possible.”
Amaya’s interest in OT began in 2019 when she became a behavioral technician at a clinic in Lancaster that helps children with autism. “A lot of the kids I saw were also receiving occupational therapy services.” She reached out to clinics in the area until she found one that allowed her to observe a session, and she was immediately hooked.
“I saw that OT services were about restoring meaningful skills that a child had difficulty doing independently, but in a way where it was fun and engaging,” says Amaya.
She later became a rehab aid in a skilled nursing home to get experience before applying to the MSOT program at CSUDH—her first choice of schools. “I knew the program had a great reputation, but I also wanted to be on a campus that had a diverse student population,” she says.
Amaya also serves as treasurer for the Student Occupational Therapy Association and Vice President of the Gamma Gamma chapter of the OT honors society Pi Theta Epsilon. She says she’s proud to be part of the OT community at CSUDH. “This program has so many connections and networks across California,” she says. “As students, we’ve had the advantage of hearing from so many distinguished guest speakers as well as OT patients who have shared their lived experiences with us.”
After graduation in spring 2025, Amaya hopes to be a clinician working with both pediatric and adult populations. “There are lots of communities that lack adequate OT resources. I like the idea of being a mobile consultant filling the gaps in areas where OT services are most needed,” she says.
“But I might also open my own practice, or even go back to school for my doctorate degree in OT. Whatever I decide, I want to keep pushing myself toward new and exciting challenges.”
