Therapy from the University of North Georgia in 2017. I also hold a certification in therapeutic Dry Needling from the American Academy of Manipulative Therapy. I am currently a pediatric physical therapist - I treat children from birth to age 18 in the home and in a clinical setting.

What experiences at South led you to your career as a physical therapist?
Fitness was always a passion for me - it’s a piece of my life I greatly cherish. My experience on the track team, in my weight training classes, and being on staff of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes gave me a passion for health, wellness, exercise, and studying sports medicine. I also had a passion to help people. I had volunteered for years with kids' ministry programs at my church. I had all of these passions with no clue how to really merge them together.

During one of my athletic training clinical rotations at UGA, there was a man with cerebral palsy who helped out in the training room. He asked me what my plans were after I graduated and I told him I was going to continue school to become a sports medicine physical therapist. He looked at me and without hesitation asked, “Why don’t you want to work with people like me? If I had a therapist like you when I was a child - motivating, kind, supportive- I don’t think I would be as limited in my mobility as I am today. I didn’t take it seriously then because I didn’t have a therapist who cared the way you do.”

I could barely keep it together. It was such a triggering moment for me. When I got to PT school my passion for pediatrics quickly took over. I have a lot of skills now and can treat a variety of kids with that skill set. I think that conversation was God’s way of telling  me: here, here is how you will blend these passions.

​With what types of children do you do physical therapy?
I primarily treat children with developmental disabilities. I treat some in their home through a state program called Babies Can’t Wait, but I also treat in a clinical setting. Some of my kids are very medically involved and my job is to make them as independent and mobile as possible to maximize their quality of life and reduce their risk of other medical complications. You’d be surprised how much getting a child to sit independently or crawl on all fours can improve their overall demeanor, give them hope, and reduce their risk of pulmonary and orthopedic complications in the future. It’s all about early intervention - the earlier you can help a kid and improve their function, the better their quality of life. 

Some of my kids aren’t as medically fragile and we do a lot of balance activities, muscular training, endurance training, and coordination activities to help them function better in their environment. A kid’s ultimate job is to PLAY. The better we can get them moving, the better opportunity they have to learn and function well in their day to day life.

Working with the children you do now, how does that influence how you reflect on your time in high school?
When you work with medically fragile kids you realize how wrapped up we are at times in things that ultimately don’t matter. I stressed so much about so many things that were pointless to stress over. This job gives me perspective that I know I wouldn’t have if I didn’t have the opportunity to work with these kids and families.

Looking back at high school, I wish I had spent more time with friends outside of school. I studied ALL the time. My teachers and coaches at South had high expectations of me, and I had high expectations of myself. All of my time in athletics holds a special place in my heart. My passion was born in my athletic experiences in high school and I am forever grateful for that time, the friendships born, and the memories made. That dedication and perseverance sometimes seemed excessive, and looking back now, I’ll admit I probably could have pulled it back a bit and taken a few deep breaths. It brought me a lot of success, but I do wish sometimes I had cherished time with people more. Relationships are what build the most success - and the most valuable memories.

What advice would you give current South Forsyth High School students?
I think it's very healthy for students to take a minute away from the stress of the tests and college applications and peer pressure and think...really think about what activities give them joy. What activities do they thrive in? What activities give them drive and passion to do better and be better? Often times students find themselves seeking a career strictly for the potential to make a lot of money. But at some point, your passion will seep through and you’ll find yourselves at a crossroads - do I do what makes me happy or do I stick with this because it’s safe or it's what I always said I would do? It takes time and focus to answer that “what is my passion” question so I would really urge students to take some time away from the academic environment on the weekends or on week nights to explore careers they find interesting - talk with their parents, talk to professionals, talk to friends, do an internship, etc. - find what makes them tick...then go find someone doing that and figure out how to do it yourself. Be open minded. High school is a small portion of your life; spend time with people who broaden your views of the world and what your role could be in it - who challenge you to be better, and who lift you up. 

 In that position, having an understanding of the community ​and school system is paramount to my daily duties and involvement with business and industry. It also helps when having conversations with students, in that I can relate to where they are and what they hope to do next.

How does the College and Career Development program serve Forsyth County students?
FCS College & Career Development seeks to provide an on-going partnership between education and business/industry to prepare the students of Forsyth County with the skills necessary to meet world-class standards, successfully continue life-long learning, and enter the marketplace as productive citizens. Career pathway options within the program offer curriculum and instruction linked to industry standards in labs featuring the latest technology and equipment replicating simulated work environments. The district also supports internship and mentorship opportunities for students. After graduating high school, students who complete career pathways enter the workforce and military, continue post-secondary education at specialty schools, technical colleges, community colleges, and major universities across the country.

What about high school best prepared you for life?
The teachers and administrators at South have always truly cared about us being prepared for our next step in life, no matter what that looked like. For me, I left South with a love of business, which led me down a path of working with family entities, and also in the realm of secondary and post-secondary education. I had the confidence leaving school to know I had the tools necessary to do anything I wanted to do!

What are some of your best high school memories?
I think the relationships formed with adults in the building and lifelong friends I still have. Most of my former teachers and administrators are still involved in my life, including folks like Richard Gill and Kim Head, who continue to invest in our daily work with the school system. I also try to stay in touch with former teachers, like Jennifer Hauck, who I met a few months ago at her barn in St. Simons. My father is also a part of the Hall of Fame. While no longer with us, I treasure the time he spent investing in the school and be being a part of that at an early age. I have a lot of great memories with Mike Weaver and my brother and parents doing all kinds of things to help the school open in 1989!

Looking back, is there anything you wish you had done differently? What would you tell current South students about their time in school?
I don’t think anyone imagines how quickly it goes by, but I would have taken the time to develop more adult relationships and tried harder to be at more events and activities. I would encourage students to get involved, stay involved, and give back! You are blessed to be in a community like South that supports education. Don’t take a single day there for granted and remember to return the thanks when you are a contributing member of society!