Physical Therapist Assistant Student Cheryl Dyer:
As a child I became interested in physical therapy when I read the biography of a little girl with cerebral palsy. It was through a physical therapist that the girl and her family found help and encouragement for their daughter’s physical development. After reading that book, I decided then that I was going to become a physical therapist when I grew up. However, when it was time for me to go to college, I was not able to dedicate 6 years to becoming a physical therapist, so I fast tracked and became a LPN. I enjoyed being a nurse, but it was not long before I became a wife and mother and left my nursing career behind. Since then, I have spent the past 20+ years happily at home with my family. Then, a few years ago my husband made a career change as a result of a disability which produced a substantial loss of income. I knew then I needed to find a way to help with our family finances. I remembered back to my childhood dream of becoming a physical therapist and now find myself in the physical therapist assistant program at GTCC. The program has been tremendously challenging academically and emotionally stressful, but I am so grateful to be here. In a few short months now I will be able to say, “Hello, my name is Cheryl Dyer, and I am a physical therapist assistant.”
