Hometown: Milbank, SD
Undergrad School: South Dakota State University
Major: Health Promotion, Minors in Biology and Health Education
Age: 23
Class: Doctor of Physical Therapy – Class of 2012

Were you surprised by anything in the program?

The technology is amazing! Everyone in class is willing to help everyone, so there is no competitiveness between classmates. The program is very manual therapy based and professors are always willing to help.

Any advice for prospective students?

Find where you will feel the most comfortable and go with your gut. Take time to research different fields of physical therapy and start to think about what areas you would like to work in. My advice while at DMU would be to take some time for yourself.

Why do you want to be a physical therapist?

Physical therapy is very broad and you can specialize in many different fields. It focuses on preventative care and rehabilitation, which is very important to many diseases and illnesses.

Extracurricular activities:

There is a lot to do in Des Moines. There are many performing arts centers and sports events in the area so I like to attend musicals, comedy acts and sports events such as hockey and baseball. Otherwise I just enjoy dinner and catching a movie with classmates.

Why DMU?

I knew I wanted to come to DMU when I came for my interview. The campus is beautiful and everyone is so polite and helpful. You can really tell that the DMU staff care about you and everyone treats you as a health care professional, not just a student. Des Moines is the perfect size since there is always something going on in the area.

Career objectives:

As of right now, I would like to work in neuro-rehabilitation or wound care.

Favorite thing about Des Moines:

The Farmers Market is amazing to go to on Saturday mornings in the summer and early fall. They have everything you can imagine and it’s great since everything is from Iowa!