{"id":34135,"date":"2017-07-21T11:53:52","date_gmt":"2017-07-21T15:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=34135"},"modified":"2017-07-25T11:38:28","modified_gmt":"2017-07-25T15:38:28","slug":"summer-2017-wcsc-students-intern-nasa-smithsonian-institute-midwifes-physical-therapists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2017\/summer-2017-wcsc-students-intern-nasa-smithsonian-institute-midwifes-physical-therapists\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer 2017 at WCSC: students intern with NASA, the Smithsonian Institute, midwives, physical therapists and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

Assisting at home births, seeing the bullet that killed President Garfield and rewriting an accounting policies handbook are just some of the on-the-job experiences enjoyed by the 13 students in Eastern Mennonite University\u2019s Washington Community Scholars\u2019 Center<\/a> (WCSC) this summer.<\/p>\n

At the heart of the WCSC program are professional internships in a variety of settings where students make positive contributions to the community and gain vocational direction. But students also get to experience city life, explore Washington\u2019s cultural and historic attractions, learn about issues such as gentrification, and manage a house budget and relationships in the communal living environment of the Nelson Good House.<\/p>\n

Kyle Mathews<\/strong> joined the program to try out a profession in his area of study. A kinesiology and exercise science major from Chesapeake, Virginia, Mathews said that assisting with physical therapy at PIVOT Physical Therapy has allowed him to learn more about anatomy and physiology, plus gain hands-on experience that reinforces and deepens his understanding of the concepts learned in coursework at EMU.<\/p>\n

Given his choice of clientele from the diversity of groups his clinic serves, Mathews said he prefers to work with injured athletes. As a former athlete who has undergone physical therapy, he feels he understands the mental, physical and emotional impact of sports injuries.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been there,\u201d he said. \u201cI know how it hurts and what they\u2019re going through as patients. Interning gives me a new perspective, from the other side.\u201d<\/p>\n

The placement is also pushing Mathews beyond learning just the technical skills of a physical therapist. \u201cYou have to learn through observation, by feel, to work with different people who respond in different ways to therapy,\u201d he said. \u201cSome people take longer than others, so you have to nudge them along.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mathew\u2019s peers in the summer 2017 WCSC program represent diverse professional interests:<\/p>\n