After graduating from Heartland in 2009, Whitney Steingard continued her education by attending Bethel College. There she majored in Athletic Training while also participating in volleyball, Student Senate, Student Ambassador for Admissions, and FCA. Through all of her involvement, she was still able to maintain an outstanding GPA and graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training.
Her schooling was not complete, however, as she decided to continue on to become a physical therapist. “After majoring in Athletic Training at Bethel, I knew that I enjoyed learning about all of the extravagances of the human body and how things can sometimes be injured or go wrong and how they heal. I also enjoy being around and talking with people. Pairing those two passions together and a lot of prayer lead me to my decision to apply for PT school, along with support from my family, teachers, and friends,” said Steingard.
Last fall, Whitney began her professional schooling at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. While this new adventure has been challenging, she has great classmates who rally together to assist each other through. “I enjoy all of the hands-on learning that occurs in class, lab, and through clinical experiences that I can take and compare to textbook and lecture learning to solidify the information and make learning more fun and interesting,†commented Steingard.
Looking to her future career, Steingard is ready to face the unique situations that will come with being a physical therapist. She explained, “I like how each patient will present a new and unique challenge. The same injury, disease, or surgery can happen to two people, but everyone is different in how they will respond, both physically and mentally, as they heal. I look forward to being a Physical Therapist because I will get to find out what does and doesn’t work with each of my patients in order to help them heal or improve.†At this point, she is intrigued by working in a pediatric division of physical therapy.
Although many of her sights are set ahead, Whitney is still able to reflect on how her life experiences have played a role in where she is today. “I have completed my first year of PT school and can clearly see that collaboration and teamwork is a key component for the success of myself my classmates. I learned the value of cooperation and how to trust in and depend on others early on while growing up in the close-knit community of Henderson. Teamwork is the best way to help each other out and succeed whether it is in sports, extracurricular activities, the classroom, or a job in healthcare. I am thankful for the urge to work with others that has been instilled in me through growing up in Henderson and will continue to carry out this value in school and my future career as I work with people to improve their lives.â€
Congratulations Whitney on your academic accomplishments and the bright future you have as a physical therapist!
