Monday, May 13, 2024
While post-commencement life can be uncertain for many graduating college students,
Madelyn Di Orio and Kellan Barry made big plans before this school year ever began.
The third-year students in The 鈥檚 will tie the knot in June.
The pair met as freshman as undergraduates at Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas, and both knew long before graduation they wanted to pursue physical therapy as a career. They applied to the same PT schools in hopes that could stay together. For Di Orio, a San Antonio native, HSC was her first choice. Barry, who was born and raised in Seguin, also wanted to come to Fort Worth, though he was more of a mind to start his PT education as soon as possible.
Both were interviewed by HSC on the same day and ultimately landed on the waiting list. Barry received his acceptance email first.
鈥淚 was a little jealous because I was still on the wait list,鈥� Di Orio said. 鈥淎t that point, I thought, 鈥楾here鈥檚 no way I鈥檓 going get in. That would be too good to be true for me to get into the school I really want to go to, and for us to be able to go together. I just don鈥檛 foresee that.鈥欌��
Months later, just as the department was finalizing its cohort, Di Orio received a call from the DPT asking if she wanted to remain on the waiting list. She enthusiastically said yes. She received her acceptance email the next day.
For Barry, his HSC journey almost ended during the interview process thanks to technical problems. After logging on to the Zoom meeting 鈥� a still relatively novel concept in 2021 鈥� he realized his audio wasn鈥檛 working. With just five minutes before the interviews began, Barry scrambled to log on using his phone, which was dead. Hunched over and tethered to a short charging chord near his parent鈥檚 desk (in an office without air conditioning), he realized he hadn鈥檛 yet downloaded the Zoom app. Once he did that and created a new account, he finally logged on, his heart having left his body at some point during the download. It was a close call, but he made his interview. As luck would have it, his would-be interviewer was stuck in traffic and running late.
鈥淚 was honestly traumatized,鈥� he laughed. 鈥淚 was so emotionally disturbed from that little freak out. I kept thinking, 鈥業 have to get in to go through this. I have to get into the school.鈥� And luckily, I did. Some of the kids in the class have mentioned it: 鈥楻emember that kid whose wifi quit working during the interview?鈥� 鈥榊eah, that was me. I was that kid.鈥欌��
HSC was Di Orio鈥檚 first choice, she said, for a few reasons. The school has an excellent reputation; she was very interested in pursuing neurological physical therapy, a specialty of several HSC faculty; and her father is from Fort Worth and she still has family in the area. She also said the interview process seemed the most genuine.
鈥淚 think out of all the interviews I had that were online, it was the one that felt the most personable,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 felt like the questions they were asking were more about my character and values than they were about just, 鈥榃hy do you want be a physical therapist?鈥� And I really loved it. That鈥檚 actually why I ended up becoming a student ambassador, because I loved my interview so much in the student panel. I could really see myself becoming a student here.鈥�
Dr. Michael Furtado, chair of SHP鈥檚 Department of Physical Therapy, recognized that it鈥檚 difficult to maintain relationships during a rigorous doctoral preparation. That they not only stayed together, but their relationship flourished while in PT school, speaks to the strength of their bond, he said.
鈥淢adelyn and Kellan came into PT school at HSC as a couple, and now they graduate
together on the cusp of being married,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is heartwarming for all of us
to have been a part of that story with them. They each had their own individual successes
and accomplishments and can look back on their time at HSC with fondness. Their story
is one of love and sacrifice, and we could not be happier for them and their bright
future. Congratulations to the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Dr Barry.鈥�
The soon-to-be married couple plans to move back to San Antonio after commencement. Barry already has a job interview lined up at a clinic working with a PT he met during his stint as a tech. Di Orio is currently applying for outpatient and inpatient rehab jobs.
鈥淚 have some interest in pelvic floor, vestibular as well as neuro,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 kind of unsure of what I want to do, but I think that that鈥檚 the beauty of physical therapy. You really can do it all if you want.鈥�
Long-term, the two said they want to start clinic that caters to low-income and underserved patients.
鈥淲e want to do a a cash-based clinic and offer it at a lower price for people who can鈥檛 afford to go to physical therapy,鈥� Barry said. 鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 even have health insurance. The main goal is just to show that you can treat people without insurance, but also not break the bank from it.鈥�
The most enduring part of their experience at HSC, Barry and Di Orio said, was the relationships they forged with faculty and their fellow students.
鈥淭wo of the girls in our class are bridesmaids at our wedding,鈥� Di Orio said. 鈥淵ou have to get really close really fast. We鈥檙e spending all this time with these people. I think that we grew a lot closer too, just going through the rigorous curriculum and the difficulty of it. I definitely think the relationships we鈥檝e made here will last for a very long time.鈥�
From - Community by Eric Griffey