I attended SDCE Mesa college specifically for their unique ABI program. On August 27th 2016 I was in a near fatal motorcycle accident and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. Throughout my recovery I would hear about the merits of this program and how it helped people afflicted like me, with a brain injury, find their new path or reach their next goal. I am a 37 year old, otherwise healthy person. What I had hoped to achieve while I was with Continuing Education’s ABI program was to gain the necessary knowledge and strategies to re-enter college and pursue my dream of becoming a physical therapy assistant and giving back/paying it forward.
Along this path, I have found and dealt with many obstacles to make it this far. I have learned invaluable strategies to deal with my social anxiety, and memory issues. The memory strategies that I have come to utilize, I will continue to use throughout my life beyond the educational setting. They are invaluable to me and I am so very thankful to my teachers. I have had to overcome financial hardships and have struggled at times to deal with surmounting medical bills and bureaucratic hurdles to my fixed income through long term disability. With each new step, a new obstacle or diversion would present itself. Thankfully, I now have specific resources and a group of folks that understand, and work to help me appropriately deal with my struggles. I am a semester away from meeting all of my prerequisites for Mesa College’s physical therapist assistant program and 18 units shy of my Associates degree. I have been able to transition my volunteer role at Sharp Hospital into a per diem position, while I pursue my degree and licensing. I want to continue to grow my professional network within the rehab and medical industries so that I can continue to learn professional practicalities and build resources to help me steer my education effectively.
