Dr. Monique Dupree Scholarship for BIPOC Students

My path to physical therapy wasn’t through an injury or because of a family member in recovery; it was found through my own interest. I didn’t have any ties to physical therapy from personal experiences or relatives. As a young black woman, I saw the disconnect between my community and healthcare. Even so, I found a love for science and movement early on, through school projects, camps, and sports. I became aware of the physical therapy field through my research as a high school student. As I started reading about the field, it immediately piqued my interest, having everything I wanted in a career– a continuation of my knowledge of the human body, how it moves and heals, as well as an opportunity to use that knowledge to better the lives of others. My curiosity regarding physical therapy has not been hindered by my experiences. I believe this unwavering interest will allow me to continuously learn and grow as a provider. From my limited knowledge of the field of physical therapy, I started seeking out as many experiences as possible. My high school had an internship program that allowed me to spend my afternoons volunteering at an outpatient clinic, where I got my first taste of what the profession was like. I interacted with a majority of older patients and had the opportunity to work on my patient communication skills with a group of people who were different from me. Going into college, I immediately looked for university-based opportunities. I was able to secure a position as a student athletic trainer for Men’s Lacrosse, eventually working my way up to the title of head student trainer. The patients there were different from my previous encounters. They were younger, wanted to be pushed to their limit, and received different treatments depending on their goals. I have continued to seek out diverse clinical experiences that have opened up my view of the profession and allowed me to interact with a diverse patient population. These include a range of settings from inpatient cardiopulmonary to outpatient neurology and a school. My unique experiences with so many different types of patients have allowed me to understand that every patient, whether older, an infant, or an athlete in their prime, has their own distinctive goals and needs. Being a black woman in a healthcare setting also gives me a unique perspective that I believe I can bring to the profession to help me be successful. Unfortunately, in the black community, there are many stigmas around health. Whether it be physical or mental, both of which are important in physical rehabilitation, they are sometimes avoided or not talked about. The history of how our people have been treated medically has made some in our community fearful of seeking help. A lack of representation can make people feel unheard. I believe that seeing or speaking to a healthcare provider that you feel represented by is extremely important in helping to break some of these stigmas. Few physical therapists are black. I have learned how important trust is in rehabilitation, and personally understand the feeling of not being seen. Seeing a black medical provider, going to a historically black university, and playing sports with people who look like me all made a large positive impact on how comfortable I felt in each of those settings. My main purpose in becoming a physical therapist is to give patients the opportunity to feel seen, relieved, and to improve their quality of life.

I never planned on becoming a physical therapist when I was a kid. Back then, I was just an overweight teenager staring at the mirror and wishing I could change what I saw. I felt stuck, insecure, and honestly, hopeless at times. The gym started as nothing more than an escape, a place where I could try to take control of something in my life. But over time, it turned into much more. It became the place where I rebuilt not only my body but my confidence, my discipline, and my belief in myself. That experience is what lit the fire in me to pursue physical therapy. What inspires me most about physical therapy is that it represents more than fixing injuries. It is about giving people a piece of their life back. I know what it feels like to be held back by your body. I know how frustrating it is to want change but not know if it is possible. That is why I want to help people through physical therapy. It is personal to me, because I see myself in the people who feel like they cannot move forward. And just like I discovered in the gym, I want to show others that progress comes one step at a time. My drive also comes from failure. I have failed plenty of times. I have set goals and fallen short. I have had to restart when I wanted to quit. But those experiences taught me resilience. Every time I got back up, I grew stronger. That grit is what I want to bring into my career. I want to be the therapist who not only teaches exercises but also teaches perseverance. I want patients to see that setbacks are part of the journey and that real progress is built through consistency, not perfection. Education has become my way of turning inspiration into action. At Florida Atlantic University, I am studying biomechanics, physiology, and other courses that are building my foundation for this career. But while the science is important, what keeps me going is the vision I have for the future. One day, I want to open my own physical therapy office in Mexico. Back home, too many people simply live with pain because they cannot afford or access proper treatment. My goal is to bring affordable, modern, and compassionate care to people who need it most. When I picture my future, I don’t just see an office with equipment. I see a place where a grandmother can learn to walk without pain again. Where a young athlete can recover and return to the field with confidence. Where a child can realize their body is capable of more than they ever believed. And maybe, it will even be a place where future therapists come to learn and carry the cycle forward. That vision is what keeps me pushing through late nights of studying and long days of training. This career is not just a choice I made on paper. It is something I feel deeply connected to because of my own story. Physical therapy combines everything that inspires me: movement, healing, resilience, and hope. It gives me a way to turn my struggles into something meaningful for other people. And that is what drives me every single day. One day, when a patient walks out of my office smiling because they can finally move again without pain, I will know I chose the right path. That is my inspiration, and that is why I am determined to make physical therapy my life’s work.