As I’m writing my bio for this site I cannot help but smile. Writing this is the culmination of frustration turned into passion, misdirection transformed into focus and feelings of burnout converted to inspiration. I smile because the career I love now did not start out that way.
I graduated physical therapy school expecting my job in physical therapy to be amazing. I thought I’d jump out of bed every single morning ready to go to work. And, for a little while I did. Until I found myself going through the motions. After seven years of school, I never thought I’d be one of the people stuck living for the weekend—and I was.
It was then that I (very slowly) began to recognize that while PT school taught me to get a job in physical therapy, it did not prepare me to create a fulfilling career. The ideal career I envisioned could not be satisfied by following the well-traveled path that laid in front of me. And that’s why I believe that our career journey must be carved, not followed.
That journey for me started in physical education and continued with the change to physical therapy shortly after. I graduated from Rutgers Physical Therapy Program and pursued a sports residency with ProRehab and The University of Evansville. I’ve since become involved with Functional Movement Systems, started a blog, served as an adjunct professor, remained loyal the the New York Giants, and continued an addiction to peanut M&Ms.
I believe that by determining our purpose, defining our own path, and using the help of those around us, we can all have our ideal career.