Future physical therapist finds value in helping others succeed
Not every person’s passion is realized in an all-consuming epiphany; in fact, for human health sciences junior Emily Appel, her grand moment of revelation happened in the back of her mother’s car on the way to a college fair.
“I told my Mom I should probably think of something to tell the people at this fair,” Appel laughed. “I was in an anatomy class at the time, and I thought, ‘Well, I like anatomy, I like learning about muscles and movement. At the time, I also really wanted to do something with kids, so we combined both of these things and came up with pediatric physical therapy.”
Though the profession was hastily picked out for the career fair, it didn’t take long for Appel to see it actually was a great fit for her. “It’s definitely become more important to me,” she said. “I don’t think people realize how important movement is. If you’re a runner, and you injure yourself and can’t run anymore, that’s devastating to who you are and how you identify yourself. As a physical therapist (PT), I can be the person to help a patient regain their identity. That’s why I want to do this.”
The PT-to-be and CHS ambassador hails from Ohio where she attended a small high school, never straying too far from home. “I’d always been a UK fan, so the school was always on my radar,” she said. “I went for the Singletary Scholarship, and I realized that UK happened to also have a great PT program. It just all fell into place.”
“Physical therapy is about movement and muscles, obviously, but it’s also therapy,” Appel continued. “Much of it is personal healing and working through challenges. Majoring in human health sciences (HHS) really stood out to me because it presented many opportunities to work on those skills. This program is also so interprofessional—you have built-in shadowing experiences where you work in other parts of healthcare you wouldn’t usually see.”
Appel feels right at home among UK’s thirty-thousand students due to the family atmosphere she’s found at the College of Health Sciences. “Being able to find my small group in a bigger place has always been important to me,” she said. “I found that here in the College of Health Sciences with both my peers and advisors. Everyone treats you like someone who has real value.”
Her role as a CHS ambassador has only deepened this familial connection with the college. “When I became an ambassador I felt like I had a role in the college; in helping the college succeed and in helping new students succeed. That really made me feel like I had a place here.