About Us
Student Wellness Services North
1245 Arden Rd.
Pasadena, CA 91125
(626) 395-8331
Monday - Friday
8:00am - 5:00pm
Closed on Institute Holidays
Meet the Team
Maria Lopez
Operations Director for Student Wellness Services
I am the Operations Director for Student Wellness Services and provide administrative support to the center's professional staff. My responsibilities are to do the many tasks required to keep the office running smoothly. I have a background in the medical field doing Administrative/Secretarial work and as a Surgical Scrub Tech. When I am not at work I enjoy spending time with my family.
Grace Wong, OTD, OTR/L, LRC
Occupational Therapist
Pronouns: She, her, hers
Education: Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD), University of Southern California; Lifestyle Redesign Certified
Professional Interests: Time management, planning and organization, personal finance, career/post-graduation exploration
Hobbies/Self-Care: Playing video games (currently playing Metaphor: ReFantazio), traveling, eating good food, and doing as much of it as possible with friends!
Wellness Tip: Following the sage advice of David Allen, you want to use your mind to create and implement your awesome ideas, not hold things in your mind! Brain dump your thoughts, obligations, tasks, and everything else into an app or doc you can rely on (Personal favorite: TickTick). The only thing you want on your mind is what you've chosen to be on your mind. This helps boost focus and reduce stress.
"Average performance sustained for an above average amount of time leads to extraordinary performance." - Morgan Housel
Nari Shin, PMP
Special Projects Manager
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Education:
University of California, Los Angeles - Currently pursuing a Masters in Health Administration
Project Management Institute - PMP Certification
University of California, San Diego – B.A. in Political Science - International Relations
Professional Affiliations:
Project Management Professional
American College Health Association
Professional Interests: As a project manager, I love planning and delivering SWS programs via predictive, hybrid, or agile approaches. Oftentimes, you'll find me collaborating with campus partners and piloting new, fun ways to integrate wellness into students' lives (i.e. Mocktail Carnival, wellness workshops, panel discussions). I am passionate about student well-being, and I envision Caltech's definition of "wellness" growing beyond physical health and mental health. I'm always open to meet, listen, and chat about the 8 dimensions of wellness, so please do not hesitate to reach out. Your voice matters.
Hobbies/Self-Care: I enjoy serving the youth and children, volunteering in developing countries, and spending time with my community. For self-care, I eat, sleep, travel, watch Korean dramas, listen to diverse genres of music, play my vinyl records, and catch up with friends and family over food. I certainly love (I know; love is a strong word) food!
Wellness Tip: Occasionally, stop to spend some time in meditation and reflection. Ask yourself questions like "Why do I love what I do?" Refresh and refind joy and purpose in your job, relationships, hobbies, and more.
Stacy De La Torre
Office Assistant for Student Wellness Services
I am the Office Assistant for Student Wellness services. I am happy to be a part of Caltech, to work with wonderful people who help support and bring our Caltech community together. My professional background has allowed me to wear many hats to naturally fulfill the everyday administrative tasks.
Karen Hernandez
COVID Lead & Front Office Support
I am the COVID Management Team Lead and Front Office Support. Prior to Caltech, I was an early childhood educator for over 10 years. I am passionate about social justice and look forward to working in the public health field. I am an avid concert goer, love listening to music, spending time with friends and reading good books.