Reflect on a meaningful experience in your life and share how that experience influenced

your personal growth, such as your attitudes or perceptions.

Coming into college I had no idea what going to a big state university would bring me. My
whole life I longed for that huge SEC football school experience. I applied to the University of
South Carolina and luckily was able to attend. However, my freshman year was not everything I
had hoped and dreamed of. In fact, it was actually a very difficult time in my life. My freshman
year roommate was extremely anti-social, the few girls I did meet had their high school friends
to lean on, and I was so homesick for some familiarity. Of course, I got my SEC football
experience. I attended every game, joined a few service organizations, and excelled in my
classes; however, most nights were spent alone facetiming people from home. Looking back on
this time in my life I can barely recognize that girl that lived in Capstone Hall. She lacked so
much confidence and was so lost. She regretted attending such a big university because she felt
like she didn’t have a place there. I managed to get through my freshman year with a few close
friends I met along the way who were all in their own sororities. They convinced me to register
for sorority recruitment which ended up being one of the best decisions I have ever made. The
fall of my sophomore year I joined Phi Mu. Going in I had no idea how much this organization
could change me. It took me back to my outgoing self that I was in high school and allowed me
to connect with several influential people. Shortly after joining Phi Mu I told myself I would not
let this opportunity go to waste and that I would use this organization to the best of my abilities
to become something of myself. I didn’t want to waste another year at a school that had so
much potential to be my home away from home. Fast forward a few months, I got involved
with Supplemental Instruction which made a huge impact on my time at USC. I found my
passion for helping people reach their goals and excel in ways they never thought they could.
This passion for helping people academically transferred into a position in Phi Mu where I was
elected to be the Academic Excellence Chairman. By junior year I was a familiar face on campus
to countless freshman and people in my chapter. I was now that person who was able to
mentor and guide lost freshman like I once was. This huge university that I longed for as a child
finally felt like my own. I went through so much personal growth from freshman to sophomore
year. It’s hard to say that simply joining a sorority changed my experience in college that much,
but I honestly think it was the resources and connections that Phi Mu gave me that allowed me
to blossom into the person I am today. A sorority can be as little or as much as you want it to be
in your life, however, it’s all about how you choose to use it. For me it was a game changer. I
reached out to older members to get advice, I attended seminars to learn more about what I
can do on campus and in the community, I ran for a position that would allow me to be a leader
in my chapter, and I became a recruitment counselor in my senior year to help rising freshman
find their place earlier than I did. I would say I regret not joining this organization sooner,
however, I think the journey is what really challenged me and allowed me to grow as much as I
did. Had I not experienced such a drastically different first year of college without Phi Mu, I
wouldn’t have appreciated all that I have gained from it. I can honestly say this self-growth and
transitional time between freshman and sophomore year is why I am here right now applying
for physical therapy school. My view on what it means to be a physical therapist has changed so
much. I used to think a physical therapist was just like a medical doctor who showed up for
their job, saw a few patients, and got their paycheck. Luckily this profession means so much
more to me now. To me, physical therapy is getting to hear people’s stories, learn about why
they are in the position they are in, observe their movements or lack thereof, assess and advise
a treatment plan, and work with them weekly to reach whatever goals they may have. A patient
I once worked with said it best, “Physical therapists are the doctors you want to see because
they are very personable and truly care about your well-being.” Looking back at who I once was
and who I am now, I have never felt so ready to be that clinician who can make a real difference
in my patient’s lives.