Joel Garcia-Peña BS’26 brings Willamette community spirit to physical therapy career

Taking the future into his own hands

Willamette University Exercise and Health Science major Joel Garcia-Peña BS’26 knows first-hand that being an effective health care provider involves more than technical knowledge — it requires the ability to build relationships and communicate with patients.

Now, he’s using his liberal arts education and his community experiences to care for patients as a Therapy Aide at Salem Health, just steps from Willamette’s historic Salem campus.

Though he arrived at Willamette a shy student who wasn’t sure what his future held, involvement in the Willamette community gave Joel the confidence to take his future into his own hands. After a few years at Willamette, Joel was able to network with doctors at Salem Health, leading to a job opportunity in acute therapy.

“Throughout my experience at Willamette, I became confident enough to ask questions and brave enough to embrace mistakes,” Joel says.

A first-generation college student, Joel traveled far from home to attend Willamette — leaving behind a large family in Texas for whom he served as a caregiver. The transition wasn’t always easy for Joel, but the Willamette community empowered him to become a more confident person.

“I quickly got involved in the community as much as possible,” Joel says.

Joel jumped into opportunities like serving as an Admissions Ambassador where he built enthusiastic and authentic relationships with prospective students and their families. He also led the Kappa Sigma fraternity as its president, building and leading his organization as part of Willamette's Fraternity & Sorority Life.

“These opportunities paid off as I gained excellent customer service skills, the ability to keep conversations going, manage organizations, and use my voice openly without relying on a script,” Joel says. “This allowed me to easily obtain my current job at Salem Health as a Therapy Aide and gain confidence in adapting to any environment or people.”

Joel found a place in his major as well. His faculty consistently supported and empowered him.

“Without a doubt, the entirety of the Exercise and Health Science department was my rock,” Joel says.

His advisor, Associate Professor Brandi Row Lazzarini BA’96 — also a Willamette alum — was especially important to Joel’s collegiate experience. She helped guide him on his senior thesis, which examined the ways in which occupational therapists can engage and activate patients while avoiding burn-out. The topic will serve him as he begins his own occupational therapy career.

“Throughout my journey at Willamette, Professor Lazzarini has been my mentor in what type of work ethic I want to display in my future,” Joel says. “She was always available for flexible office hours, and offered critique in conversation, email, and in class. I could always count on her to answer my questions.”

Now Joel is building community off-campus, inspired by the rich connections he’s made at Willamette. Since graduating in December, Joel has enjoyed working across the street from campus at Salem Health as a Therapy Aide for all types of occupational, physical, and speech therapy.

“In my future, I will continue to work down a path of acute Occupational Therapy in hospitals, clinics, or wherever I’m needed most,” Joel says. “Today, my job already grants me the pleasure to work in Salem Health, but I’ve still got a long journey ahead.”