Student Activities and the Impact

As a student at IUI, I've had a large variety of opportunities. Through these experiences I've learned a lot about myself. Some of my volunteer opportunities have allowed me to use my strengths in problem solving and communication, while building on weaknesses like time-management. I was able to do all of these things with both of my volunteer activities, by helping with daily plans as a team, working with kids who sometimes didn't want to cooperate, and planning my time around attending these sessions. It has been a great learning and growing experience so far, and I look forward to continuing my volunteering and other activities as I earn my degree.

My first semester I learned that going to school can be a lot more than just taking classes. Classes still come first of course, but there are so many more learning experiences available, especially in a place like Indianapolis. This applies to the rest of my life, even as I continue into my career. I will need continuing education, but I will also be able to learn from experiences, peers, and outside opportunities within my community or even outside of it. A piece of advice I would give myself and anyone else is to go out of your comfort zone. It may be hard in the moment, but some of the best experiences of my life have been a little bit scary to start out with.

Adapted Movement Programs

Starting my freshman year, I had the opportunity to volunteer for the Adapted Movement Program's Motor Activity Clinic. I heard about this volunteer opportunity in one of my classes, and immediately sent an email to see if I could participate. Being involved in this clinic has been a huge experience for me and solidified that I do indeed want to be a physical therapist. Thinking of different ways to work with my clients that would be effective yet engaging allowed me to use critical thinking skills and see a whole other aspect of physical therapy that I may even want to pursue. I've volunteered for three semesters now with the MAC and each time I have learned something new. I also have volunteered for the Ability Fitness Clinic, which is a similar program for adults, and have learned even more from it.

GOAL University

GOAL University, or Get Onboard Active Living, is a program that provides health and wellness education to children in their afterschool YMCA program. I decided to volunteer for this program because it aligns with my passion for helping others with their wellbeing, and there's not many better ways to do this than educate children. Preventing unhealthy habits from forming is one of the strongest influences of overall health and being a part of that is a great experience, both for myself and the kids. This experience was also helpful in developing public speaking skills and teamwork.

Research

I learned at the beginning of my freshman year that undergraduate research was an option and heard a lot about it through one of my professors who is the coordinator of that program. I decided it was something I was interested in doing, so I volunteered to be a participant in a research study on tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation) and its impact on learning of fine motor skills with coordination between both hands. The process and question were both fascinating to me, so I decided that I want to get more involved with research in the future and have volunteered for a couple of studies since. All of the experiences I've had with research so far have taught me that being curious can be a great thing, especially when there is a passion for the topic. I hope to be able to get more involved with research in my field and contribute to scientific development.