Graduate / "Pride, passion and perseverance" - physical therapy entrance essay [2]

The question is "What personal characteristics and motivating factors have led you to pursue a career in physical therapy?"

Below is my response. I am still working on a solid conclusion

Pride, passion and perseverance define my strength of character, my willingness to succeed and my ability to overcome any obstacle that stood in the way of achieving my goals. I was raised to believe anything I desired in life was within my grasp and I set my own limitations. With that mindset, I was the first person in my family to attend a four year college. That in and of itself was a tremendous personal achievement. Once there, I was automatically drawn to something that had always been a passion of mine and started at a very young age.

My introduction to the world of physical fitness spawned from watching and imitating my mother, who was an exercise fanatic and martial artist. At the age of 10, I began kick boxing and two other styles of Japanese martial arts. Unfortunately, my mother who was my coach and training partner, suffered a medial meniscus tear during a sparring match and was required to dramatically reduce her amount of physical activity and begin physical therapy. As time progressed, I watched her regain her strength, stability, and power. In retrospect, this was the defining moment that sparked my initial interest in human movement and exercise science. I was consumed with unanswered questions such as, the location and function of a medial meniscus as well as, how and why did physical therapy aid in her re-cooperation? From that moment on, I began my journey to educate myself on the structure and function of the human body.

Discovering the answers to these questions soon followed with my studies at Florida State University, where I found my niche as a pre-physical therapy Exercise Science major. Every class captivated my attention. I wanted to utilize my new found knowledge starting with building a solid resume in my field of study. I began looking into jobs around campus and gravitated toward the recreation center, where I landed my first group exercise instructor and personal trainer position. These positions placed me in a leadership role and allowed me to guide and motivate my peers towards a healthier lifestyle.

After graduation, I felt the need to gain new life experiences in a new environment. I moved to New York City and started working for a company called New York Sports Clubs. Over the next three years, I was promoted from personal trainer to assistant fitness manager, fitness manager and finally Regional Faculty member. My last position gave me the opportunity to share my passion by educating personal trainers in a classroom setting. I taught basic anatomy and physiology, kiniesiology and program design. This truly was a wonderful career for me and staying with the company long term was a possibility. However, a turn in the hierarchy and business structure changed everything. This was a blessing in disguise, because it allowed me to return to my love of Physical Therapy.

Although I was working in fitness, I stayed connected to the Physical Therapy field by volunteering at two different locations; Bellevue Hospital and a small private practice in midtown. Unfortunately, the hospital lost my volunteer records and the private practice is no longer running, so I could not list them in my application. However, I managed to see the difference in acute care and out patient care in regards to patient treatment. Still seeking opportunities in my field, I stumbled across a position as a Physical Therapy Aide.

From that moment on, all I could think about was furthering my career in physical therapy. Immediately, I began researching schools and studying for the GRE. I was in the perfect position to continue my career path and planned on applying to various schools for my doctorate in Physical Therapy. Unfortunately, in the fall of 2009 my mother was double diagnosed with ovarian cancer and lupus. With no other source of family support, I put my plans on hold and left everything to take care of her. I held three jobs to help support my family as a Physical Therapy Aide, a private personal trainer and server. Fortunately, in May of this year my mom went into remission. I have been ready to pursue a career in Physical Therapy for quite sometime and with all of my financial and family struggles behind me I feel that now is the perfect opportunity for me to take the next step.