Blogger Katie Ragle, Class of 2018, writes about her experience at the National Student Conclave held in Miami, Florida over the October 27-29th weekend.  

Let me tell you about my trip to Miami.

It all started with an email from a fellow Regis student that read, “Hey Katie! I just tagged you in a Twitter post about the Student Assembly Board of Directors. Take a look at the application :). Deadline 7/1.” This began my journey into a passion for the APTA. But first, a history lesson:

If you are a PT or PTA student and an APTA member, then you are in the Student Assembly. There are around 29,000 of us, and we’re all led by a board of 10 people—the Student Assembly Board of Directors (SABoD). This board is comprised of positions such as president, vice president, and other director positions that help to make the student APTA experience a great one.

That aforementioned email referred to the Director of Communications position on the SABoD. This person creates content to engage the Student Assembly through emails, social media, and videos. You may not realize it, but you receive emails from the Director of Communications on a regular basis.

As a broadcasting major with a minor in editing and publishing, this position was right up my alley. After I was encouraged to apply, I decided that I wanted this position to get more involved in the APTA and to use my talents to further the profession of physical therapy by engaging students from across the county.

After an application and a Skype interview, I was chosen to run alongside three other candidates for the Director of Communications. The election occurs every year at the National Student Conclave (NSC), which is the annual national APTA meeting that is just for students. Two weeks ago, I packed my suitcase and headed to Miami for the final election.

The Regis representation at NSC.  I’m so glad they were there!

I arrived in Miami with nearly 1,000 PT and PTA students from around the country who gathered to learn how to be better practitioners and how to advocate for our profession. I was immediately blown away by the amount of enthusiasm and support for our field. Everyone eagerly engaged in meaningful conversations about their program and what they’re doing for the field of PT. Rather than simply clustering together with individuals from their schools, people branched out and met students from around the country. The excitement was palpable!

These are the incredible candidates I got to interact with all weekend.

Little did I know that I would receive a ribbon that read “Candidate” all weekend so that people could ask me about my slated position. I had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people in my field! These people inspired me to not only be the best PT that I can be, but also to advocate for our profession and to represent it well. The speakers empowered us with knowledge in entertaining ways and generated passion for the field.

This is one of my new friends, Alicia from MA

But more than passively attending, I got to actively participate in the conference. I participated in focus groups on how to make communication within the APTA better. I introduced a few speakers before their talks, and I met with the leaders of the Student Assembly to discuss the future of the organization. I also got to meet the president of the APTA, Dr. Sharon Dunn. She held an open Q&A for students to ask her any questions they had. She is both incredibly intelligent and personable. The APTA is fortunate to have her!

APTA President, Dr. Sharon Dunn, gave all of us candidates a pep talk.

Did I win the election? No. Am I upset? Absolutely not. I wouldn’t trade my experience at NSC for anything. I made connections that will last a lifetime. This conference opened doors that I otherwise would have never been able to encounter. I still receive emails and messages from other students and professionals asking to keep in touch and encouraging future connection at upcoming APTA events. Best of all, NSC lit a fire within me for my future profession and for the organization that represents us so well.

This is the amazing group of individuals with whom I ran for Director of Communications.  The one standing next to me (second from the left) was elected to the position.  His name is Cruz, and he will do great things for the Student Assembly!

In a future post, I will share some of the tips I learned at NSC about how to get plugged into the APTA;  for now, think about attending NSC 2017. It’s in Portland, Oregon, so how can you turn it down? You won’t regret it. We are the future of PT. Let’s be the best that we can be!

Follow NSC’s twitter to start counting down to next year!