Anna Machuga: GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago Impact Story 

What brought you to GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago? 

I came to GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago to do my capstone experience as part of my occupational therapy (OT) doctoral degree at Rush University. I chose GiGi’s because I was always interested in working with the Down syndrome population and wanted to apply my OT knowledge to this community. I started our now thriving internship program. Here is a picture of me with Emily and Diego on their first day as interns at the Playhouse in 2020!!   

What is your most memorable moment of impact in 2023? 

I’ve been busy this year managing all things marketing and social media for our Playhouse. One of my favorite things to do is highlight our participants and families on our social media and celebrate their success. The more we can share the impact of GiGi’s Playhouse Chicago with our community, the more interest we get from others in how they can get involved.  

What is your vision for 2024? 

My vision for our Playhouse for 2024 is to get a “viral” social media moment where either a video we create or a story about us gets some traction, and we can further increase Down syndrome acceptance and spread the joy of our community with others!