Natalia Anzaldúa Ayala, an inaugural Doctor of Occupational Therapy student at the George Washington University, will address the Class of 2025 as the Commencement Student Speaker on the National Mall on May 18.
Anzaldúa Ayala left McAllen, Texas and came to the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences for its diversity and commitment to advocacy and inclusion. Having known she always wanted to work with children, she combined her empathetic nature, passion for special education, and interest in kinesiology to pursue a career in occupational therapy and help people regain their independence and participate in activities that are meaningful to them.
“This is where change happens.”
Taking advantage of #OnlyAtGW activities, Anzaldúa Ayala voiced concerns about accessibility issues to policymakers on Capitol Hill and volunteered at the inaugural sensory-friendly session at The White House Easter Egg Roll to help children participate in accessible activities.
“Natalia is an example of what the faculty hoped would be the outcome of our curriculum. A student who is reflective, client and culturally centered, and enthusiastic to represent and lead GW OT into the future,” said program director Roger Ideishi, JD, OT/L, FAOTA.
Her inclusive and transformative doctoral capstone project—titled User-Centered Co-Creation of Informative Video on Early Intervention Rights for Spanish-speaking Families Receiving Early Intervention Services—focused on combating language barriers in healthcare and was completed in collaboration with Roger Ideishi, JD, OT/L, FAOTA, Rachel Brady, PT, DPT, MS, and Chelsia Latney, CCC-SLP.
When reflecting on her three years in graduate school, Anzaldúa Ayala said, “My goal throughout my time at GW was to empower others, put a smile on my classmates’ faces, and make people feel heard and that they could count on me.”
Anzaldúa Ayala will graduate alongside 25 of her peers in the first cohort to join the entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at GW. “Natalia is a source of strength and inspiration and holds herself to fairness and integrity. She consistently takes initiative to understand the people and communities around her with an extremely positive attitude and has become the role model for accountability and inspires others around her to do the same,” said fellow OTD student Pranathi Meda. Similarly, OTD student Isabele Magbanua commented, “Natalia is an inspiration to her peers because she is authentic, generous, and compassionate toward others.”
When drafting her speech, Anzaldúa Ayala considered the importance of her Mexican-American culture, the lack of awareness of occupational therapy, and her experience of being mislabeled as a trouble-maker for asking ‘why’ when questioning systemic injustices. She also thought about the importance of collaboration and listening to other voices and fervently sought to include the GW community in formulating her speech from start to finish. Strolling through Foggy Bottom, she requested to hear students’ stories–searching to understand whether they had found a community, developed personally and professionally, and learned the same way she had. Later, she requested their critique of her speech.
“To everyone who gave me feedback, encouragement, and support–thank you.”
Along with Natalia Anzaldúa Ayala is GW Alumna Jonquel Jones–the 2021 WNBA MVP and reigning MVP of the WNBA Finals for the New York Liberty–who will also address the Class of 2025 at the University Commencement on the National Mall on Sunday, May 18 at 10:30 a.m. The event may be watched via the live stream at commencement.gwu.edu.
“I’m doing this for my family and to give occupational therapy the exposure it deserves.”
Read more about Natalia’s story and her inspiring speech in GW Today.
