91Ö±²¥ÊÓƵ

Why UNE

I chose 91Ö±²¥ÊÓƵbecause of what it had to offer, including what the professors were interested in research-wise and the travel opportunities through my Physical Therapy [PT] program and service learning. There was a lot I could get into. My professors know exactly who I am, and it's easy to tell they are committed to our success. I’ve fallen in love with PT and am especially interested in pelvic floor, which is kind of a niche unit of physical therapy. I really enjoy working with people that have a story to tell.

Service Learning in Action

The ease of getting involved in a [service learning] program is the thing I enjoy the most. My first program was Reproductive Health Leadership, which stood out to me because I’m interested in public health. My group created birthing kits to send overseas; I crocheted baby hats and set up an event so others could learn how to crochet too. 

I’ve also participated in 91Ö±²¥ÊÓƵMeals for Maine and have worked with the Cumberland County Jail and the prison. For the Cumberland County Jail Wellness Expo, I hosted a booth focused on movement, where I shared exercises that could be done using just body weight while educating participants on the significant health and emotional benefits of movement. [Through service learning], I get to interact with many different populations who share the good, the bad, and the ugly of health care. I can see direct connections to my program, but even if something isn’t specifically about physical therapy, it’s still something I could learn from. 

Service learning has allowed me to interact with students from other programs. I’ve found more friends, and it really connects you to campus and the community — especially for me, since I moved to Maine the summer before I started school. It’s really nice to talk to [people in] other professions and discover things I didn’t even know were possible. For example, Physical Therapy students will teach Dental students how to safely transfer patients, like helping someone in a wheelchair move into a dental chair safely.

[Through service learning], I found that there’s a lot of settings where I could work with different populations. It has tested my ability to see people as people rather than using the label that’s given to them.