Our 2023 Pro-Care Medical scholarship submissions included an impressive amount of students with exceptional academics and a future desire to serve in healthcare. This year’s winner is Jenna Schmitz! A University of Texas at Austin student, her goal after finishing up her undergrad is to attend graduate school to become a physical therapist. Get to know Jenna and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors!
What are your plans in PT school and what drove your interest that you’re pursuing?
I want to become a physical therapist, but more specifically I plan to specialize in neurological conditions, women’s health, or working with athletes. I have not decided which specialty I wish to pursue, but those are my top three at the moment. I became interested in physical therapy after completing an internship opportunity during my junior year of high school. I was allowed to shadow a physical therapist for a year and this began to pique my interest in the movement aspect of physical therapy which was very similar to the various sports I’ve played throughout my life. However, only within the last three years have I become highly interested in physical therapy due to my part-time job as a diving coach. I’ve coached people of all ages, mainly children and high school-age students, and I greatly enjoy the process of helping them learn new skills and reach their goals. I know as a physical therapist that helping and encouraging patients to better their movement capabilities will mirror the same process as coaching new divers, so I am very excited to begin my journey on the road to becoming a licensed physical therapist.
What keeps you busy at UT?
At UT Austin, I’m in various clubs and participate in many activities: I am in a Wushu Kung Fu club called Texas Wushu that does various performances on and off campus of our fighting abilities, as well as competes in regional Wushu competitions. Specifically, I am also the Social Media Officer for the club, so I am very involved in all the events we have planned and promote our club on various social media platforms. I also volunteer at various locations on campus and around Austin, doing trash clean-up work and helping out at various campus events, such as the annual Longhorn Run. In my free time, I like to attend social dance events, exercise, and spend time with friends.
