Balancing the course load of two very distinct majors, sports, volunteer work, and a social life, this week’s Campus Celebrity, Dr. Natalie Diaz, PT, DPT, PCS, was an exceptionally well-rounded student at UC Berkeley. This successful Cal Alumn graduated in 2006 with a double major in Integrative Biology and Legal Studies. Her broad array of interests, skills, and talents combined with her strong motivation led to her reaching her goals. Dr. Diaz went on to graduate from USC with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2009.
While attending UC Berkeley, Natalie, volunteered at Children’s Hospital Oakland in their rehabilitation department. She was also an Assistant Lab Instructor to a Grad Student Instructor in Exercise Physiology. Not only was she involved in medical-related activities, she also played on a club soccer team in Bay Area Women’s Soccer League and played intramural soccer at UC Berkeley.
When asked about how she managed to balance the many aspects of her life at Cal, Natalie advised,
“I was able to maintain a balance between school, soccer, and my friends and family by focusing on my long term goals and coming to the understanding that I couldn’t meet those goals by only focusing on one area of my life. I knew that playing soccer and being active gave me the break I needed from school so I could focus more, and I knew taking the time to stay connected with my friend and family helped keep me grounded to remind me of the goals I was working towards.”
Natalie is pictured here on her graduation day in front of Sather gate.
After her fruitful years at UC Berkeley, she attended USC and was elected president of her class. She was also awarded USC’s Order of the Golden Cane and the American Physical Therapy Association Minority Scholarship in 2009. She is a credentialed Clinical Instructor in physical therapy, a Board Certified Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS), and a Pediatric Clinical Specialist.
She is currently a pediatric physical therapist for the Los Angeles Unified School District, and she also works in acute care physical therapy. She specializes in pediatric physical therapy for patients 0 to 21 years old. Cal is proud to have the spotlight on our amazing shining alumna Dr. Diaz for all her accomplishments.
Check out Dr. Natalie Diaz’s website! www.beyondbasicplay.com
Pictured above is Natalie with her dog, Bear, who she trained to become a therapy dog so that he could participate in her therapy sessions.