A journey is not always a straight line By Matt Scott, Third Grade Lead Teacher
Growing up in a household with two parents in healthcare, I always knew that I was going to follow in their footsteps. The plan was clear and simple: attend the small college down the road from where I lived, pursue an undergraduate program in pre-physical therapy, and go to graduate school to become a physical therapist. Having been an athlete and being passionate about helping people, it was the perfect fit. I would be able to apply my understanding of training and performance to help others. Although my parents were thrilled with my choice of career path, they always encouraged me to pursue my passions. My intended straight-line path was certainly one they were proud of as I enrolled at Calvin College. It didn’t take long before my intended plans began to change slightly. Although I enjoyed learning about the human body, excelling in my anatomy and physiology class, I found no excitement in the rigorous challenges of chemistry and
physics. Within one week of animal biology my sophomore year, I was certain a degree in biology was not for me. I wanted to help people, and I thought physical therapy was still the right choice. Right then I decided to pursue a degree in exercise science instead of biology, and I found my niche. I was able to connect with people and use my knowledge of exercise and training. In my program, I spent time learning about teaching others. In one class, we learned about motor skills and how to build patterns of movement. We also had the opportunity to work with a faculty member to develop an exercise plan for his or her personal fitness goals, and I was energized about helping people learn and progress towards their personal goals. Upon graduating, I held off on applying for graduate school and accepted a job working in a hospital, assisting others in their rehabilitation from total joint replacements. Initially, I was able to make connections to my experience in my undergrad program. It wasn’t long before I found myself dissatisfied with my work, and I needed change. I was unsure of what that change was at the time, but I knew I needed to do something else. I began investigating a number of other opportunities without success. I also began to have conversations with Josh, one of my best friends from college, who was in seminary at Emory in Atlanta. Who better to help me discern my next step than a pastor in
Matt works with his students on grammar, using a mentor sentence to identify the different parts of speech.
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