“Along the lines of why I want to be a physical therapist is: I remember when I was injured and I saw my PT for the first time, I didn’t really have an appreciation of a physical therapist until I was a patient. What I found out the most was that being a physical therapist isn’t just about physically helping someone get back to their physically in-shape form but you’re also helping them rebuild or regain their confidence. I remember during the summer last year, I had a chance to shadow and intern at a PT outpatient clinic for elderly people. These are just people who have to live at that place because they can’t do a lot of things for themselves. A lot of the time, if not all of the time, they’re just all happy and super energetic people because the physical therapists there treat them like humans. That’s who they are: human. It’s really fun to see them, when we help them achieve a goal that they set or get to a certain milestone, to see them smile. That’s something that I want to continue and give back to them. I want to be that someone who makes everyone feel like someone.”
Meet Alex Pham. Alex is a junior at Western, majoring in kinesiology. Though Alex didn’t initially think he would end up at Western, he fell in love with the smaller-school atmosphere and the “chill environment.”
After he graduates, Alex hopes to go on to graduate school and become a physical therapist, preferably working with a sports team. In the meantime, and outside of his studies, he is involved with intramural sports such as soccer, ultimate Frisbee and Quidditch.
It is important to make time for yourself outside of school, Alex said. He said living someplace like Bellingham makes it easier to be involved in outdoor activities like hiking and snowboarding at Mt. Baker.
