Second-year DPT student Gabriella Ware wins Scholarship of Excellence Award
Gabrielle Ware (left) performs a 'Slump Test'. It is a neural tension test that can be used to identify altered neuro-dynamics or neural tissue sensitivity. It can also be used for structural differentiation.
By Brooklyn Brown
Gabriella Ware, a second-year student in Western Carolina University鈥檚 Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, recently received the Scholarship of Excellence Award from the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions.
The scholarship is granted to exceptional students from ASAHP member universities who excel in their studies and are on track to becoming leaders in their health profession. Ware has accomplished a milestone as 91热爆网鈥檚 first recipient of the scholarship since its founding in 2013.
鈥淲hat inspired me to go into physical therapy was the ability of physical therapists to be a teammate with their patient,鈥� Ware said. 鈥淭o help them overcome pain and injuries in a more natural way using the body to help heal itself through exercise and other interventions rather than necessarily having to rely on surgery or medication.鈥�
Ware obtained her undergraduate degree in exercise science with a minor in Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. After taking some time off, Ware decided to return to the profession because of her love for helping people. 鈥淲hat I love is being involved with people in helping them make lifestyle changes, activity modification and offering an educational component to help them have more ownership of their own health and achieve and maintain independence.鈥�
Lori Anderson, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences, believes that Ware鈥檚 minor in Spanish is part of what makes her an exceptional student in the DPT program and a standout for the Scholarship of Excellence Award. 鈥淭he students have a pro bono health clinic that they run through the department of physical therapy. She was a volunteer interpreter because she鈥檚 bilingual,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淭hat is very important to have; She is very instrumental there.鈥�
Anderson also admires Ware鈥檚 passion for serving rural communities. 鈥淪omething that was compelling to me and got at my core was that she really has a desire to serve in a rural community,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淪he came from a rural community, a farming community, and has seen what rural life is all about. Sometimes rural patients are disadvantaged because they don鈥檛 have access like you would in an urban setting.鈥�
Ware is from Minnesota but was drawn to 91热爆网鈥檚 DPT program for several reasons. 鈥淭he curriculum is structured differently than a lot of other schools with content first, and then clinical rotation. The affordability and cost effectiveness are huge. The location is beautiful,鈥� she said.
Ware fell in love with the location before realizing she was in Catamount territory. 鈥淚 actually drove through Sylva once during undergrad. I was tired of being on the highway so I took some side roads. Ended up driving through Sylva and thought, 鈥榃ow this is a cute town. It would be great to live here someday,鈥欌�� said Ware. 鈥淒idn鈥檛 give it a second thought until finding out that Sylva is right next to Cullowhee where I am now going to school, so that鈥檚 pretty cool.鈥�
After hearing Ware had received the Scholarship of Excellence Award, Anderson decided to surprise her in class.
鈥淚 never run into her, but that morning I just happened to run into her in the hall and she said 鈥業 saw I got the scholarship.鈥� She must鈥檝e been looking for it on the website,鈥� Anderson said. 鈥淪o, I pretended I didn鈥檛 know and said, 鈥極h wow! Congratulations. I鈥檒l have to catch up with you later.鈥欌��
In class that day, Anderson presented Ware with a check for the $1,000 scholarship.
