Written by: Keith McDonough, Class of ‘25 Secretary

“Where are you from?”

That’s a question you’ve been asked your whole life, and a question that you’ll always be asked. Typically, it’s pretty easy to explain. But what if you’re older, or you’ve moved a lot, or both? This question can become a bit more complicated. “Oh, I grew up here, but went to school here, did my undergrad here…” It almost sounds like you’re making an excuse for your life’s journey. We are all unique when it comes to our backgrounds, and our upbringing is what shaped us. The most important part of physical therapy school is that your journey up to that point is complete, and you’ve reached your destination for the next 8 semesters. So, who cares if you’re from New Jersey? People might scoff, but nobody at Regis will actually hold malice against it. What if you’re in your mid-30’s and on your second or third career? People might look at you funny, but nobody at Regis will pass judgment against you. We all walk different paths, and at Regis, you’re now part of a group that is focused on bettering themselves, and you can work together to do so.

Unsurprisingly, I grew up in New Jersey and I’m in my mid-30’s. Despite being a bit older, my journey is my own, but now I share this journey with my cohort. Physical therapy will be my second career (third if you count bartending as a career… up for debate). I feel incredibly fortunate to share the continuousburden of knowledge for the next three years with 80-somethingother like-minded individuals. I will admit that I confided to my faculty advisor about concerns I had, specifically about being significantly older than most folks in the cohort. I wasn’t terribly worried about connecting with peers, but the feeling of being alienated is natural. I know that to succeed to the best of my ability, I need to collaborate positively with people in my studies, projects, and extracurriculars. My advisor knew exactly what to say, “do not let your age define you, but instead let your life experiences come forth and use them to become a natural leader.” She really brought a new perspective and inspired me to take command of a leadership role to assist my classmates. I could not think of a better way than to offer my organization skills and keep everyone on pace with their work by creating calendars to guide us. This led me to become elected for class secretary (never you mind the fact that I ran unopposed).

If you’re looking into leadership opportunities, student government is a fantastic way to get involved in leading your peers and building professional relationships with faculty. It can be very rewarding and yet another avenue to finding your place here at Regis.