Lenoir Community College (LCC) graduate Micaiah Jackson of Kinston is well on his way of making his career goals a reality. When he graduated from South Lenoir High School in 2016, he knew he was going to LCC for his first two years and then transfer to a four-year university to study to be a physical therapist.

LCC, the University of North Carolina in Wilmington (UNCW) and five years later, he is heading to his first choice Physical Therapy (PT) school at East Carolina University. He graduated from UNCW with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science.

“Undergrad prepared me for PT school by enabling me to take courses such as Anatomy and Physiology and Exercise Science,” Jackson said. “My last semester of undergraduate, I did an internship at Bodies and Balance Physical therapy and shadowing there gave me insight into the daily life of a physical therapist. I think as I tackle PT school, I will see other ways that undergrad has prepared me.”

Jackson said his seven-month internship gave him an opportunity to work with patients that were battling many different physical situations. “I was able to see treatments for musculoskeletal injuries, balance, and many others,” he said. “I was also able to help teach a Parkinson’s class once a week. The goal of the class was to help patients with Parkinson’s continue to stay active to battle the progression of the disease.”

“I also shadowed at UNC Lenoir Health in inpatient care,” he added. “There, I shadowed some wonderful physical therapist who showed me how treatment in inpatient care worked.”

Looking back at his time at UNCW, Jackson said one of his greatest challenges came in the form of weather. “My first year there, Hurricane Florence touched down in Wilmington. This caused UNCW to be closed for a month. I was taking Physics and Chemistry 2, and those are not courses that are easy to learn especially if they have to be expedited,” he said. “I finished with a B+ in Chemistry 2 and a C+ in Physics. That is the only time in my college career receiving below a B, and it motivated me to push so that it would not happen again.”

Jackson said outside of school, his mother was battling breast cancer, and the first week of classes of his last semester at UNCW, she lost that battle. “This was very difficult especially since one of her goals was to see me graduate from UNCW. It was a challenge, but I pushed through and graduated four months later.”

What is Jackson looking forward to at PT school? “I’m looking forward to learning different types of treatment and care that physical therapy provides,” he said. “I am also interested in working in different settings that PT’s work in, and I’m hoping that PT school will solidify what setting of physical therapy in which I would like to work,” he said. “I am looking forward to meeting new people and my classmates, and I am looking forward to learning how to help patients recover or improve on whatever their injury or physical impairment may be.”

Jackson is attending the Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program at ECU, which is a three-year program. It is 106 semester hours with 32 weeks of clinical education, but he is up for the challenge. “I just believe in working hard and pushing through,” he said referring to his personal philosophy. “Life is not always easy, there are going to be battles that you have to overcome, and you can’t give up. Life is constantly changing and if you intend to grow, you have to change with it.”

He said his current job with Nvolve, a company that provides Remote Patient Monitoring for providers and patients has been helpful in his pursuit of his career choice. “It has made me more familiar with talking with patients and how to address certain situations,” he said.

Looking toward the future, he said he hopes to find a job in physical therapy upon graduating, and while he is unsure of what specialty of PT he would like to pursue, he is looking forward to working in the field. “I am interested in opening a clinic of my own,” he said. “I have a few friends who are pursuing PT, maybe we’ll open a clinic together.”

“I am thankful for Lenoir Community College and the LCC Foundation,” he said. “Without the care, support, and education provided, I would not be able to be a part of East Carolina University’s DPT Program, Class of 2024.”