Four years at Central College can seem like a lifetime, when you consider how much students grow. But it can also be a blur, especially when it comes to students who never quit moving, like recent graduate Morgan Remick ’13.
As a member of the A Cappella Choir and the Chamber Singers and an SOS orientation leader, Remick always had her hands full at Central. She also helped out during Iowa Private College Week on campus, was secretary of the Health Professions Club, co-treasurer of Psi Chi and a member of the theatre department.
The Hillsboro native is no stranger to a busy schedule, and now that she is out in the “real world,” things aren’t about to change anytime soon. Remick, an exercise science major and psychology minor, has been accepted to Washington University in St. Louis, where she plans to study occupational therapy. And Remick is eager for new adventures, including her summer marriage to fellow Central grad Ben Fry ‘13.
“This final semester has definitely been weird,” she says. “I have been ready for a change and the uncertainty has definitely been a little nerve-wracking, but all the changes are really exciting.”
Remick is undeniably prepared for grad school—during her final semester at Central, she was able to do a senior thesis project that implemented a fall-prevention program with older individuals at the Vriendschap Village retirement community and the long-term care unit at Pella Regional Hospital. The goal for the project was to increase balance and strength in the lower extremities to prevent falls. Remick also introduced a social functioning component to her project, which analyzed how the individuals interacted with one another as they participated in the program.
“I think doing this research and spending time with these older people is going to be valuable for me whether I do occupational therapy or wherever I end up in the health care field,” Remick says. “I think it has been a good experience, no matter the results.”
This wasn’t Remick’s first time working in a medical center. Last summer, she interned at the Henry County Health Center in Mt. Pleasant, where she job shadowed an occupational therapist, as well as a physical therapist and speech therapist. The experience opened her eyes and exposed Remick to her dream job.
“It was great to see how much the therapists could do for others,” says Remick. “I really think I would love to work in a hospital setting as an occupational therapist. These experiences solidified what I wanted to do because I could see the impact I could make on other people.”
Looking back on her four years at Central, Remick knows that all of her classes, professors and classmates have helped shape her into the person she is today.
“It has been really great getting help from my advisors and other professors,” she says. “The Central community gives you so much support—they provided the support that I needed to be successful through my last four years and in my future endeavors.”
