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to what one can learn about the body
from the printed page or a computer
screen, but the anatomy lab is a teaching
tool like no other.
Dr. Janelle O’Connell, program director
of HSU’s PT program, says the anatomy
lab is often where students begin to
understand the true miracle and beauty
of the creation of God. “It’s a humbling
experience to see the complexities of
the human body, and to know that we
have a personal relationship with our
creator.”
Students
pursuing
degrees
in
preparation for careers in the health
sciences (other than PT), including
physicians, dentists, neuroscientists,
physician assistants, and athletic
trainers, benefit from the anatomy lab.
For many, experiencing the anatomy lab
confirms their career aspirations.
During the last academic year, more
than 470 high school and college
students had learning opportunities in
the HSU anatomy lab. Music students
even asked to see the larynx and
pharynx area of the throat, so they
could learn on a more intimate level
how the throat works.
According to Dr. O’Connell, the PT
department receives requests from
so many high schools that they must
limit each school to one visit to the lab
every two years. Outside of the school
year, high school students participating
in HSU’s Health Sciences Summer
Enrichment Program get to experience
the anatomy lab.
PREPARING FOR LIVES
OF SERVICE
Learning anatomy is only a part of the
skills and knowledge needed to be a
physical therapy professional. While
the outstanding faculty and hands-
on approach of the HSU PT program
makes it highly respected throughout
Texas and the U.S., the program also
emphasizes preparing students for lives
of service. As Dr. O’Connell explained,
“We want our students to use their
God-given talents to serve the Lord
by becoming Christ-centered physical
therapists.”
That is most evident in the HSU PT
Ministries program. For more than
20 years, faculty and students have
engaged in missions, ranging from local
clinics to serving on the Texas/Mexico
border, to working in some of the most
impoverished areas in the western
hemisphere.
In the summer of 2017, twenty-four PT
students, three faculty members, and
two PT Alumni traveled to Peru where
they partnered with two local churches
to minister physically and spiritually
to some of the world’s neediest people.
Working with Joni and Friends’ Wheels
for the World, students and faculty
assisted more than 200 individuals
by providing mobility aids such as
custom-fitted wheelchairs, walkers, and
crutches.
One of the patients was a 12-year-old
boy who had never walked nor had a
wheelchair. Two of our PT students
spent seven hours building a totally
customized wheelchair that perfectly fit
his body and allowed him to sit upright
for the first time in his life.
In July of 2018, thirty-five students,
faculty and alumni will return to Peru
to continue serving the Lord and the
people in need without mobility.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
We ask for your prayers and your
support. Whether you can give $100 or
$100,000 — or something in-between
— you can make a difference. Your gift
of $100 will enable us to purchase a
used wheelchair to custom fit a person
with a disability.
You may consider making a lasting
impact and leaving a legacy by
establishing (or adding to) an endowed
scholarship for PT students. Only the
earnings will be used, so the scholarship
will benefit students in perpetuity.
Naming opportunities are available
ranging from $25,000 to $2 million for
the new PT facility, with the option to
fund your commitment over a 3-year
period. Gifts of appreciated securities
are often an ideal method for higher
funding levels because you avoid capital
gains tax, and receive a tax deduction
for the current market value when you
itemize.
To learn more, contact Mike Hammack
or one of our development officers at
(325) 670-1260.
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RANGE RIDER | SPRING-SUMMER 2018