Meet Our Alums – Claudia Yagel – ''Enjoy the Journey''

Published July 13, 2022
UTEP College of Health Sciences

What sparked your interest in the Occupational Therapy Program at UTEP?
I wanted to move back to El Paso to serve the children in my home town.

Did you always want to be an occupational therapist?
Yes! As a child, a therapist came into my home to help my grandfather after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. I saw what a difference the therapist made in my grandfather’s quality of life.

Tell us about the most interesting experience you had as an OT student.
My study abroad experience in Guatemala with a fellow OT student and two PT students. I grew so much, not only as a therapist in training, but as a person. We went into an orphanage to help special needs children with adaptations and resources.

Tell us about your current work. What are some of the skills you learned as an OT student that you use on a daily basis?
I own a pediatric home health company, Yagel Therapy. There are many skills that I utilize on a daily basis that I learned as a student: time management, critical thinking, and collaboration with fellow disciplines, to name a few.

If you could go back in time to your first year as an OT student, what advice would you give yourself?
Enjoy the journey and take more self-care time. It’s a moment in time that is gone in a blink of an eye.

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Yagel Therapy ( www.yageltherapy.com ) is the recipient of the Best of El Paso 1 ^st Place award in the Home Health category for 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Go Miners!

To learn more about the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program, visit: www.utep.edu/chs/ot.

Photo courtesy of Claudia Yagel