About Me

Hi, I'm Mariela Machado. I was born in Austin, Texas, but raised in the suburbs of Georgia for the majority of my life. My passion, photography, has stayed with me since middle school and provides me an outlet for creativity and individualistic expression. My career goals lay in becoming an Pediatric Occupational Therapist in a low-income area, preferably working for a non-profit. My plans are to attend graduate school at the University of Washington's top Occupational Therapy program. I aim to help children grow their confidence, self-worth, and security in navigating their everyday life despite physical or developmental challenges. Through both my professional work and creative pursuits, I hope to make a lasting difference in my community by supporting growth, resilience, and self-expression in every individual I work with.

My Core Values

Beyond academics and career goals, I value empathy, patience, and connection, the most important qualities I live by when pursuing my creative work and helping others. I believe that kind, intentional actions can create meaningful change, whether that’s through a photograph that captures someone’s story or through hands-on support that empowers a child to succeed.