“I don’t know how you do it”, my friend said to me after I finished telling her one of my outlandish patient stories. I come across these often as I work as a physical therapy technician at an outpatient orthopedic clinic, and I love it. It can be challenging at times, but I know that this is what I want to do. My dream job is being a physical therapist. I have a knack for understanding body mechanics and a passion for seeing people gain strength and mobility. One thing that I love about the physical therapy profession is that you get to see your patients every week and really get to know them. My dream job consists of helping people gain strength so that they can get back to their daily lives. A lot of people have been interested in the physical therapy profession, but once they see how much they get paid, they decide to choose something else. My goal is not to have the highest paying job. My goal is to be a service to those around me and care about my patients when they feel forgotten. I have learned a lot at my job, one thing being there is a difference between the therapists that care about their patients and the ones that are just trying to get their paycheck. I know that I not only want to be a diligent physical therapist, but I also want to be in the former category. I have graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, and I will start the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Texas Tech’s Health Sciences Center in a few months; I am excited about getting my doctorate in physical therapy, and I’m nervously optimistic about what the future holds. I work under a plethora of PTs who have graduated from the same program that I will be attending, and I ask them questions every chance I get. I believe that talking to people who have walked the road you are about to walk is essential in knowing what to expect. I feel so lucky and blessed to live in a time and country where I can pursue something I am passionate about as a career! I will count my blessings every day that I can get paid for doing something I love. Of course, with any career, I expect to encounter long nights, stressful decisions, and tears; no job (if you’re any good at it) is a walk in the park. However, I believe that my passion for getting people functioning properly and improving their quality of life will be a sufficient motivator to keep me going through rough times.

“I don’t know how you do it”, my friend said to me after I finished telling her one of my outlandish patient stories. I come across these often as I work as a physical therapy technician at an outpatient orthopedic clinic, and I love it. It can be challenging at times, but I know that this is what I want to do. My dream job is being a physical therapist. I have a knack for understanding body mechanics and a passion for seeing people gain strength and mobility. One thing that I love about the physical therapy profession is that you get to see your patients every week and really get to know them. My dream job consists of helping people gain strength so that they can get back to their daily lives. A lot of people have been interested in the physical therapy profession, but once they see how much they get paid, they decide to choose something else. My goal is not to have the highest paying job. My goal is to be a service to those around me and care about my patients when they feel forgotten. I have learned a lot at my job, one thing being there is a difference between the therapists that care about their patients and the ones that are just trying to get their paycheck. I know that I not only want to be a diligent physical therapist, but I also want to be in the former category. I have graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, and I will start the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Texas Tech’s Health Sciences Center in a few months; I am excited about getting my doctorate in physical therapy, and I’m nervously optimistic about what the future holds. I work under a plethora of PTs who have graduated from the same program that I will be attending, and I ask them questions every chance I get. I believe that talking to people who have walked the road you are about to walk is essential in knowing what to expect. I feel so lucky and blessed to live in a time and country where I can pursue something I am passionate about as a career! I will count my blessings every day that I can get paid for doing something I love. Of course, with any career, I expect to encounter long nights, stressful decisions, and tears; no job (if you’re any good at it) is a walk in the park. However, I believe that my passion for getting people functioning properly and improving their quality of life will be a sufficient motivator to keep me going through rough times.

“I don’t know how you do it”, my friend said to me after I finished telling her one of my outlandish patient stories. I come across these often as I work as a physical therapy technician at an outpatient orthopedic clinic, and I love it. It can be challenging at times, but I know that this is what I want to do. My dream job is being a physical therapist. I have a knack for understanding body mechanics and a passion for seeing people gain strength and mobility. One thing that I love about the physical therapy profession is that you get to see your patients every week and really get to know them. My dream job consists of helping people gain strength so that they can get back to their daily lives. A lot of people have been interested in the physical therapy profession, but once they see how much they get paid, they decide to choose something else. My goal is not to have the highest paying job. My goal is to be a service to those around me and care about my patients when they feel forgotten. I have learned a lot at my job, one thing being there is a difference between the therapists that care about their patients and the ones that are just trying to get their paycheck. I know that I not only want to be a diligent physical therapist, but I also want to be in the former category. I have graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, and I will start the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Texas Tech’s Health Sciences Center in a few months; I am excited about getting my doctorate in physical therapy, and I’m nervously optimistic about what the future holds. I work under a plethora of PTs who have graduated from the same program that I will be attending, and I ask them questions every chance I get. I believe that talking to people who have walked the road you are about to walk is essential in knowing what to expect. I feel so lucky and blessed to live in a time and country where I can pursue something I am passionate about as a career! I will count my blessings every day that I can get paid for doing something I love. Of course, with any career, I expect to encounter long nights, stressful decisions, and tears; no job (if you’re any good at it) is a walk in the park. However, I believe that my passion for getting people functioning properly and improving their quality of life will be a sufficient motivator to keep me going through rough times.

“I don’t know how you do it”, my friend said to me after I finished telling her one of my outlandish patient stories. I come across these often as I work as a physical therapy technician at an outpatient orthopedic clinic, and I love it. It can be challenging at times, but I know that this is what I want to do. My dream job is being a physical therapist. I have a knack for understanding body mechanics and a passion for seeing people gain strength and mobility. One thing that I love about the physical therapy profession is that you get to see your patients every week and really get to know them. My dream job consists of helping people gain strength so that they can get back to their daily lives. A lot of people have been interested in the physical therapy profession, but once they see how much they get paid, they decide to choose something else. My goal is not to have the highest paying job. My goal is to be a service to those around me and care about my patients when they feel forgotten. I have learned a lot at my job, one thing being there is a difference between the therapists that care about their patients and the ones that are just trying to get their paycheck. I know that I not only want to be a diligent physical therapist, but I also want to be in the former category. I have graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, and I will start the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Texas Tech’s Health Sciences Center in a few months; I am excited about getting my doctorate in physical therapy, and I’m nervously optimistic about what the future holds. I work under a plethora of PTs who have graduated from the same program that I will be attending, and I ask them questions every chance I get. I believe that talking to people who have walked the road you are about to walk is essential in knowing what to expect. I feel so lucky and blessed to live in a time and country where I can pursue something I am passionate about as a career! I will count my blessings every day that I can get paid for doing something I love. Of course, with any career, I expect to encounter long nights, stressful decisions, and tears; no job (if you’re any good at it) is a walk in the park. However, I believe that my passion for getting people functioning properly and improving their quality of life will be a sufficient motivator to keep me going through rough times.

The strongest woman I know is my Mimi. Don't tell anyone I'm saying this, but she's my favorite person on the planet. She has Multiple Sclerosis, which is a central nervous system disease for which there is no cure. The entire time I've known her, she has not been able to walk and has been in a walker (like a small wheelchair). A few months ago, she told us that one time she fell off her walker and didn't have the strength to get back up. She waited on the floor for a few minutes (mustering up the strength) and when she was ready, she pushed her head against the wall to use it as leverage to get up on her walker. Another time, she fell out of her bed and didn't have enough strength to get up, so she reached up and grabbed a pillow from her bed and stayed the night on the floor. However, she does not let her condition stop her from living life. She drives her own truck and for the most part, does what she pleases. She never complains about her condition, and she finds creative ways to live life as if she wasn't sick. Every morning, she texts me telling me to have a good day and that she loves me the most. Whenever I have a big test that I'm nervous about, she tells me that at the hour of my test, she's on her knees praying for me. This makes me realize that even if I fail my test, I'm rich in love because I have her caring about me and thinking about me. Of course working hard is important and having a good career is important, but Mimi's presence in my life has shown me that the most important thing in life is the relationships you have with other people. Next year, I will be attending Physical Therapy school to be come a doctor in Physical Therapy. I know that it is possible to be a fantastic physical therapist and a selfish, unpleasant person synonymously. This is not my goal. If I died today, someone would have my career position filled by the end of the month. However, the relationships I’ve made and the impacts I will have on people will be the things that will stick around. All this being said, I truly do love the idea of helping people heal and become the best versions of themselves, but my main career goal, whatever my career may be, is using my position to positively impact those around me through relationships, just like Mimi has done for me.

"Why do you blink so much?" "Do either of your parents nod their head like you do?" "Are you confused? You move your eyebrows a lot." These are questions that I've heard so many times that made me feel alienated. When I was in high school, I had crippling anxiety, had 2-hour basketball practice every day, was taking college classes online, and was averaging 6 hours of sleep a night. Because of all this stress, I developed motor tics. Motor tics are small, involuntary twitches that my body does to cope with stress. I nod my head, blink my eyes excessively, and wiggle my eyebrows. I have had these tics for 7 years, and I still deal with them. It has been so frustrating because I know that whenever I meet someone new, it is the first thing they notice about me. It's extremely frustrating because I know my body is doing these things, but I cannot control it. Sometimes I feel like people only focus on what's wrong with me instead of taking me seriously. My name is Kinsey Cudnoski, and I am a senior at Texas Tech University. I am studying Kinesiology and will be attending Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy. I work as a technician at a physical therapy clinic here in Lubbock, and I absolutely love it. I love caring for the patients and encouraging them as they get better. During my time at the clinic, I have had to train many new employees. I believe my coworkers see me as a leader, and I believe the best way to lead is by example. I try to never act like I’m too important for any job, and I use my free time to do tasks around the clinic and help out the therapists. I feel so lucky and blessed to live in a time and country where I can pursue something I am passionate about as a career! I will count my blessings every day that I can get paid for doing something I love. Of course, with any career, I expect to encounter long nights, stressful decisions, and tears; no job (if you’re any good at it) is a walk in the park. However, I believe that my passion for getting people functioning properly and improving their quality of life will be a sufficient motivator to keep me going through rough times. As I've grown, I have realized that my motor tics are something that I deal with, but they aren't the most important thing about me. Sure, they can make me feel a little bit like an outsider, but it has taught me to look at people for who they are, instead of what's on the outside. After all, that's what I want people to do for me.

For me, choosing a career path was one of the most daunting parts of being a college student. I knew that I wanted to work in healthcare because science is interesting to me and I feel like I could make a difference in people’s lives. The decision to pursue physical therapy came after I began college. I took a kinesiology class my second year of college and I fell in love with the field. Body mechanics was so interesting and made so much sense to me. This mixed with my affection for exercising and my interest in serving people pulled me toward physical therapy like a magnet. I changed my major to Kinesiology and set my sights on physical therapy school. Another experience that solidified this career decision was a conversation I had with my Aunt Dena, who is a physical therapist. She heard that I was interested in PT, and she was so excited to talk to me about it. She told me she loves physical therapy so much because you get to really know your patients and care for them individually. You get to see their progress and encourage them along the way. She also said there is an obvious difference between the physical therapists that are doing it just for the paycheck and those who really have an interest in helping each patient get better. After that conversation, I knew that I wanted not only to pursue the field, but to be a member of the latter category. I will never forget that. Also, I’ve been asked if shadowing at clinics has drawn me toward the career or deterred me from it. My experience in shadowing has shown me that physical therapy is all about a person using their knowledge to help another person improve their daily life, which strengthened my decision. I feel so lucky and blessed to live in a time and country where I can pursue something I am passionate about as a career! I will count my blessings every day that I can get paid for doing something I love. Of course, with any career, I expect to encounter long nights, stressful decisions, and tears; no job (if you’re any good at it) is a walk in the park. However, I believe that my passion for getting people functioning properly and improving their quality of life will be a sufficient motivator to keep me going through rough times.

"Why do you blink so much?" "Do either of your parents nod their head like you do?" "Are you confused? You move your eyebrows a lot." These are questions that I've heard so many times that made me feel alienated. When I was in high school, I had crippling anxiety, had 2-hour basketball practice every day, was taking college classes online, and was averaging 6 hours of sleep a night. Because of all this stress, I developed motor tics. Motor tics are small, involuntary twitches that my body does to cope with stress. I nod my head, blink my eyes excessively, and wiggle my eyebrows. I have had these tics for 7 years, and I still deal with them. It has been so frustrating because I know that whenever I meet someone new, it is the first thing they notice about me. It's extremely frustrating because I know my body is doing these things, but I cannot control it. Sometimes I feel like people only focus on what's wrong with me instead of taking me seriously. My name is Kinsey Cudnoski, and I am a senior at Texas Tech University. I am studying Kinesiology and will be attending Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy. I work as a technician at a physical therapy clinic here in Lubbock, and I absolutely love it. I love caring for the patients and encouraging them as they get better. I feel so lucky and blessed to live in a time and country where I can pursue something I am passionate about as a career! I will count my blessings every day that I can get paid for doing something I love. Of course, with any career, I expect to encounter long nights, stressful decisions, and tears; no job (if you’re any good at it) is a walk in the park. However, I believe that my passion for getting people functioning properly and improving their quality of life will be a sufficient motivator to keep me going through rough times. As I've grown, I have realized that my motor tics are something that I deal with, but they aren't the most important thing about me. Sure, they can make me feel a little bit like an outsider, but it has taught me to look at people for who they are, instead of what's on the outside. After all, that's what I want people to do for me.

My name is Kinsey Cudnoski, and I am a senior at Texas Tech University studying Kinesiology. Next year, I am going to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center to complete a doctorate in physical therapy. I work as a technician at a physical therapy clinic here in West Texas, and I absolutely love it. I enjoy staying busy at my job, helping patients through exercises and encouraging them along the way. For me, choosing a career path was one of the most daunting parts of being a college student. I knew that I wanted to work in healthcare because science is interesting to me and I feel like I could make a difference in people's lives. The decision to pursue physical therapy came after I began college. I took a kinesiology class my second year of college and I fell in love with the field. Body mechanics was so interesting and made so much sense to me. This mixed with my affection for exercising and my interest in serving people pulled me toward physical therapy like a magnet. I changed my major to Kinesiology and set my sights on physical therapy school. Another experience that solidified this career decision was a conversation I had with my Aunt Dena, who is a physical therapist. She heard that I was interested in PT, and she was so excited to talk to me about it. She told me she loves physical therapy so much because you get to really know your patients and care for them individually. You get to see their progress and encourage them along the way. She also said there is an obvious difference between the physical therapists that are doing it just for the paycheck and those who really have an interest in helping each patient get better. After that conversation, I knew that I wanted not only to pursue the field, but to be a member of the latter category. I will never forget that. Also, I’ve been asked if shadowing at clinics has drawn me toward the career or deterred me from it. My experience in shadowing has shown me that physical therapy is all about a person using their knowledge to help another person improve their daily life, which strengthened my decision. I feel so lucky and blessed to live in a time and country where I can pursue something I am passionate about as a career! I will count my blessings every day that I can get paid for doing something I love. Of course, with any career, I expect to encounter long nights, stressful decisions, and tears; no job (if you’re any good at it) is a walk in the park. However, I believe that my passion for getting people functioning properly and improving their quality of life will be a sufficient motivator to keep me going through rough times.

"Yes, I'm from Texas". "Oh that's cool. Do you ride a horse to school?" This is a question that I have actually been asked before. There are a lot of stereotypical things people think of when they think of Texas, including cowboys, rodeos, horses, and the wind of the wild west. Although my grandma was a rodeo queen, I own a pair of leather boots, and I've been hit more than once with a tumbleweed, to me, being a Texan means more than these things. It's the friendliness that you can only find down south, the strong-willed faith in every one of my Texas-grown relatives, and the cozy feel of a simple small town. These are things you can't find anywhere else (not to mention the breathtaking sunsets). When I think of Texas, I think of these things. I plan to travel with my job in the healthcare field, but no matter where I go, I will remember my roots and proudly call Texas home.