CASPer Snapshot Practice
What is an obstacle you have faced, and how did you get through it?
For me, it was an obstacle just to come to college in the city from such a small town. Coming from a small high school with only about 50 people in my graduation class to a pretty large college was very intimidating. Living away from home in an unfamiliar area, joining the cheer team with people I didn't know, and coming from a high school that did not prepare me well for college was a lot to take in at once. However, I knew what I wanted for my future, so I stayed and persevered through the hard days and continued to push through. I joined study groups and spent a lot of time with my teammates, and continued to grow to love the city. I stayed dedicated to my future and motivated, and grew to love the city. All I needed was confidence in myself. As a physical therapist, I plan to boost my patients' confidence daily and make sure they know their worth. I will stay dedicated to them just as I did myself and they will be cherished.
What is your favorite book?
My favorite books would most likely be The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. This trilogy revealed the story of a girl who grew up in a poor town, doing what she had to do to get by. She talked with her friend Gale about leaving their district, but they couldn't because they were both the caretakers of their families. I can relate to this because I grew up in a very small, rural town and always thought about other opportunities that were available in bigger cities, but my entire family was in Mingo County. I feel that I especially relate to Katniss because she sacrificed herself in order to protect her family, and she is a fighter. I have a young sister just as Katniss does, and I can relate to how protective Katniss is over her. Things got extremely hard for Katniss, but she never gave up because it's what she had to do for the sake of her family. I think this part of the book hit home for me because I am the oldest of my two siblings. With both my parents working to provide for us, I had to help out a lot with my younger siblings when I got old enough. I helped them get ready for special events, helped them with their school work, and took them to practices and other extra-curricular activities that they were involved in. This trilogy definitely taught me to never stop pushing forward toward your goals, and to protect the people who are closest to your heart. As a future physical therapist, these lessons will guide me to protect my patients to the best of my ability, as they all have family and loved ones depending on me.
Tell us about someone you admire and why.
This may sound cheesy, but someone I admire is my mother. She is a hard worker, and she taught me the importance of staying motivated and true to yourself in life. Throughout my childhood, my mother was one of my biggest inspirations and influencers staying true to the fact that hard work pays off. She finished college with two children and has truly put hard work into every step of the way in order for her to be where she is today. She taught me that not everything is easy in life and you will have bad days, but having motivation for your future is what will help you to persevere. She also taught me personable skills that helped me develop into the respectful adult I am today. She always applied a major emphasis to manners, kindness, and understanding. She raised me to be aware that you never know what someone is going through behind closed doors, and to always act with kindness no matter the situation. Because of her, I feel confident that I am well-equipped and mature enough to handle the toughest situations in an appropriate manner, and keep pushing through to my main goal even with things seem impossible. The lessons I learned from her will follow me throughout my life and my career as a physical therapist, because they taught me how to have confidence in myself while treating others with uttermost respect.
What aspect of your future profession are you most excited about?
Throughout the end of high school and my first year of undergrad, I fell in love with the study of the human body. I was intrigued mostly by the function and motion of the mechanical aspects of the body, and this is when I started looking into biomechanics. Now as a biomechanics major, in real world situations, I constantly find myself wondering how to make a situation less risky for athletes or how I could improve the sufficiency of a certain movement or exercise being performed. Because I was so fascinated by the body, I started looking into physical therapy as a career. The more I looked into physical therapy, the more my interest grew. When I started getting shadowing hours, they truly confirmed my passion to be a physical therapist. The main aspect that pulled me in permanently is the patient interaction. I feel that as a PT, not only do you assist your patients in rehabbing back to the best version of themselves, but you also learn who they are as a person. The majority of patients come to PT for an extended amount of time, which provides a great opportunity to form a relationship with them. After observing at my first clinic for about a month, not only did I know what injury or diagnosis the patients were in for, but I also knew what they liked to do in their free time, what their favorite holidays were, and more personal aspects of their lives all while making sure their physical condition improves. As a PT, I hope to form relationships and leave a lasting impact that my patients will never forget.
