Rizing Tide Team, Author at Rizing Tide

Breaking Down Barriers: Meet Rizing Tide Scholar Said Mendez

By Rizing Tide Team | April 4, 2023

Said Mendez smiling while on a virtual phone call. Next to him, green text reads "Rizing Tide, Said Mendez, 2022 Crest Scholar."

This is the eighth installment of the 2022 Rizing Tide Lighthouse Series: a series of blogs and video interviews that spotlight our exceptional scholars. Stay tuned for the next installment! Said Mendez is a barrier-breaker—or at least, he hopes to be. As a current student at Duke University, Said is pursuing a degree in physical…

Providing Care for All: Meet Rizing Tide Scholar Liam Calvin Odesa Henson

By Rizing Tide Team | March 21, 2023

Liam Henson smiling while on a virtual phone call. Next to them, green text reads "Rizing Tide, Liam Calvin Odesa Henson, 2022 Crest Scholar."

This is the seventh installment of the 2022 Rizing Tide Lighthouse Series: a series of blogs and video interviews that spotlight our exceptional scholars. Stay tuned for the next installment! Liam Calvin Odesa Henson was originally drawn to physical therapy to manage and improve his physical health. “I wanted to do physical therapy because I…

A Future Traveling PT: Meet Rizing Tide Scholar Maya Jones

By Rizing Tide Team | March 7, 2023

Maya Jones smiling while on a virtual phone call. Next to her, green text reads "Rizing Tide, Maya Jones, 2022 Crest Scholar."

This is the sixth installment of the 2022 Rizing Tide Lighthouse Series: a series of blogs and video interviews that spotlight our exceptional scholars. Stay tuned for the next installment! Maya Jones—a DPT student attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)—was initially drawn to physical therapy due to its many specialization opportunities. “So once…

6 Steps to Becoming a Physical Therapy Advocate

By Rizing Tide Team | February 2, 2023

An illustrated black woman shouts into a red megaphone. She's popping out of an illustrated phone that's sitting next to a green potted plant. The background is beige with abstract blue and red accents.

Physical therapy (PT) is a discipline that is often overlooked by both insurers and patients. More than 50% of all Americans over the age of 18 report having a musculoskeletal condition like trauma, back pain, or arthritis—that’s about 259 million people in pain for those keeping track—but very few of those injured seek care. This…

Supporting Others and Making Waves: Meet Rizing Tide Scholar Mikaela Renae Holley

By Rizing Tide Team | January 27, 2023

Mikaela Renae Holley smiling while on a virtual phone call. Next to her, green text reads "Rizing Tide, Mikaela Renae Holley, 2022 Crest Scholar."

This is the fifth installment of the 2022 Rizing Tide Lighthouse Series: a series of blogs and video interviews that spotlight our exceptional scholars. Stay tuned for the next installment! Mikaela Renae Holley knew she wanted to attend a DPT program where she could grow. So, when she heard her friends speak highly of the…

Telehealth For Me, But Not for Thee: Examining the Biases in Virtual Care

By Rizing Tide Team | January 10, 2023

Illustration of a white medical professional with dark hair standing inside a phone while counseling a white patient with brown hair who's holding his chin thoughtfully.

Telehealth has the potential to expand healthcare access to millions of patients. When used, it supplements health professional shortage areas—it offers a legitimate solution to patient transportation issues. It reliably reduces no-shows, and it gives physical therapists the unique opportunity to walk patients through their HEP in their home environment. Virtual care is not a…

Professional Dance to Physical Therapy: Meet Rizing Tide Scholar Brittany Ballentine

By Rizing Tide Team | January 4, 2023

Brittany Ballentine smiling while on a virtual phone call. Next to her, green text reads "Rizing Tide, Brittany Ballentine, 2022 Crest Scholar"

This is the fourth installment of the 2022 Rizing Tide Lighthouse Series: a series of blogs and video interviews that spotlight our exceptional scholars. Stay tuned for the next installment! After completing her undergraduate degree away from her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland, Brittany Ballentine knew that her future was back home. “I went to undergrad…

A Heart for the Hardworking: Meet Rizing Tide Scholar Oliver Artiga

By Rizing Tide Team | December 9, 2022

Oliver Artiga smiling while on a virtual phone call. Next to him, green text reads "Rizing Tide, Oliver Artiga, 2022 Crest Scholar"

This is the third installment of the 2022 Rizing Tide Lighthouse Series: a series of blogs and video interviews that spotlight our exceptional scholars. Stay tuned for the next installment! After watching his parents work hard and endure major physical toil in their blue-collar careers, Oliver Artiga began to research the injury risks associated with…

Building Relationships Through PT: Meet Rizing Tide Scholar Zahraa Darwich

By Rizing Tide Team | November 22, 2022

Still of Zahraa Darwich smiling while on a virtual phone call. Next to her, green text reads "Rizing Tide Zahraa Darwich 2022 Crest Scholar"

This is the second installment of the 2022 Rizing Tide Lighthouse Series: a series of blogs and video interviews that spotlight our exceptional scholars. Stay tuned for the next installment! In an abundance of caution, Zahraa Darwich applied to 13 different DPT programs. Did she need to? Almost certainly not. Her application was strong, and…

Achieving PT Dreams: Meet Rizing Tide Scholar Fiorella Barreda

By Rizing Tide Team | October 21, 2022 |

Video call still of Fiorella Barreda as she smiles next to text reading "Rizing Tide Fiorella Barreda 2022 Crest Scholar""

This is the first installment of the 2022 Rizing Tide Lighthouse Series: a series of blogs and video interviews that spotlight our exceptional scholars. Stay tuned for the next installment! Growing up, sports-enamored Fiorella Fernandez Barreda dreamed of becoming a doctor. But it wasn’t until years later, when she stumbled upon the physical therapy field,…