MC Life
About me
Nice to meet you
I am me – an unfinished work in progress. I strive to grow in all possible ways to become a better version of myself each and every day. I desire to create positive change in others and in the world. I want to learn what I don’t know, experience what I haven’t felt, think what hasn’t been thought, and develop what isn’t yet there. I try to live my life simply and with gratitude.
“It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.”
– Dr. Seuss
Education
I have a BS in Physics from Davidson College, which is a small liberal arts school in North Carolina with a beautiful campus in a quaint town. It is definitely worth a visit if you are ever in the area! The school is known for its academic rigor and it does not disappoint.
I finished at Davidson and attended the University of North Carolina in Charlotte where I earned a BS in Exercise Science. I finished top of my program there, but the whole time was a blur as I worked five different jobs to try and cover some of my expenses. This is the period that I started working as a personal trainer, coach, and technician/aide in a physical therapy clinic.
I graduated from UNC-C and then attended Augusta University in Georgia where I graduated with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. The school was formerly Georgia Regents University and before that something else that lasted a couple of months and before that it was the Medical College of Georgia – they were desperate for the state money and couldn’t find a name that the public approved of… Anyways, if you are ever there and not going to the Master’s tournament, I recommend that you check out the recreational trail down by the canal – beautiful!
I decided that my wall didn’t have enough fancy paper hanging from it yet so I added to it with a Master’s in Business Administration from Georgia Southern University. I participated in this program virtually and scored in the top 4% in the nation on my final assessment. I never actually saw the campus, but it is inland from Savannah, GA and that city is on the coast, which means sun, sand, and beaches.
I stopped at four degrees because it is expensive, which is lame. I did also acquire an IASSC Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, but now I am done with the fancy paper. Maybe… Or at least my friends and family tell me that I need to be done.
“it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be…”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald
Work
I started off my working life in 6th grade as a paperboy walking the streets with a kangaroo pouch while tossing newspapers onto front stoops. I can’t quite say that it was uphill both ways, but it did involve some very early mornings and walking out in the elements (rain, snow, or shine). I worked an assortment of other jobs after that including a lifeguard, a pool manager, and a grounds crew worker on a golf course that all allowed me to spend the majority of my hours outside while on the clock. I was never the strongest swimmer and I have only played golf once in my life. Naturally, I was running up to swing the club for drives and putting the ball with my foot by the time I got to the back 9.
I also picked up jobs while working through my college courses. These positions included an office manager at a soccer facility, a personal trainer with a Health Fitness Specialist certification, and an aide at a physical therapy clinic. I also tutored, coached, and guided youth athletes through speed and agility training throughout the years. These jobs all kept me active and working with people, which was a great balance with the large amount of time that I was seated in a classroom or hunched over books (yes, it was still primarily books that students learned from at that time). My passion for physical activity, fitness, and overall well-being grew during this time as I was involved in this lifestyle and industry in multiple different ways.
“success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
– Winston Churchill
physical therapist
I started my professional career as a doctor of physical therapy at a small PT clinic. I then transitioned into a medical clinic within a large healthcare system where I became the PT department head. After that role, I took on the position of a clinic manager and opened a new clinic for an expansive physical therapy organization. I received a number of other certifications and specialized trainings throughout my years as a doctor of physical therapy. The majority of my specialized training was in manual treatment that included McKenzie and Maitland techniques and I also received extensive training in dry needling. I am a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and I am level 1 certified through the Titleist Professional Institute.
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself “
– George Bernard Shaw
The future
Now, I am transitioning into a unique role. In this new position, I will be tasked with a problem, I will learn everything that I can about that problem, and then I will create a solution to address that problem. This pathway will have me learning a variety of new skills and challenging myself in novel ways. I am tying old knowledge with the new and making connections that are furthering my critical thinking, problem solving, and creative mindset. I don’t know where all this pathway will take me, but I am excited to take steps in this direction.
