Tennessee Reconnect Spotlight will feature a first-person story each week...

I am a native of San Diego, CA. In 2019, I made Chattanooga my new home. I spent a decade learning about myself and experimenting with different professional fields. I studied acting in Los Angeles for three years, Spanish in Oaxaca, Mexico, backpacked through Latin America, and worked as a merchant mariner worldwide. An essential part of my life has always been staying consistent with exercise. Maintaining self-motivation to work out has continually improved my life quality and fueled my passion for helping others experience the same by becoming a personal trainer.

As a trainer, I became intrigued by physical therapy, which shares advocacy for functional movement and well-being. My interests drove me to complete my pre-requisites for the PTA program application. After receiving my acceptance letter, I was unsure if I wanted to continue my education.

The TN Reconnect program allowed me to pursue a new career in physical therapy during unprecedented times. The program enables me to focus on the intensive PTA curriculum and eliminates the financial hardship that students typically experience. Going back to school and pursuing a career in physical therapy was one of my best decisions. "You must never feel badly about making mistakes... as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons." - Norton Juster

Interested in learning more about Tennessee Reconnect? Attend a virtual information session at 5:30 pm on July 18 or 25, or 9 am on July 23. Sign up today here.