Students in Action - Kayana Trottier

RUNNING DOWN A DREAM

Turtle Mountain Community College transfer Kayana Trottier finds a second family in the UND Department of Physical Therapy.

When Kayana Trottier transferred to the University of North Dakota, she followed her passion for physical therapy despite the challenges in her personal life.

Retracing the footsteps of her mother, who earned a master’s degree in education at UND, Trottier wanted to pursue physical therapy at the university. Months before Trottier applied, however, her mom passed away. Devastated by the loss, Trottier said she struggled in her courses at first. Her mother was not there to hear her concerns and tell her that “you worry too much.”

“But I ended up getting through it with my family, friends, and professors,” she said.

Prior to UND, Trottier attended Turtle Mountain Community College. An enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians in Belcourt, N.D., she moved to the reservation as a teenager. The college there provided an opportunity to learn about her heritage.

The college had a “big family dynamic,” she said. But so does the physical therapy program at UND. When she mourned the death of her mother, professors helped her in and outside the classroom.

“It meant the most to me as somebody who was struggling because they didn’t have to do that for me,” Trottier said. “They want you to be successful not just as a professional or as a physical therapist but in your personal life, too.”

Now, having just graduated from UND with her doctorate in physical therapy, Trottier is proud to have earned a degree in the health sciences. It was one of her goals. “I’m helping people get better,” she said. “I am helping them in the long term versus the short term because physical therapy is a long-term fix. It’s something to include in your daily life all the time.”

Academically, it was not easy. Aside from classes, Trottier had to prepare extensively for her clinical practices, where students interact with patients.

“If I knew that there was a person coming with a certain body part I had to know about, I would study that beforehand,” Trottier said. “And then, I was able to apply that information. As a physical therapist, you are a learner your entire life. So every day, I’m learning things over and over.” Having just completed clinical placements in Bemidji, Minn., and San Antonio, Texas, Trottier intends to remain in San Antonio, where her mother’s twin sister lives. She hopes to secure a sports physical therapy residency with Evidence in Motion, a renowned educational institution.

Looking back on her experiences at UND and heading toward a career she has always dreamed of, Trottier has a piece of advice for other transfer students: “If you have what you want in mind, then do it and stay on the right track. And, don’t be afraid to ask for help. People at UND are willing to help you right away when you come here.”