By By KEVIN SCOTT CUTLER
Lifestyles & Features Editor
Mariah Hawkins, a sophomore at Northside High School, was inspired by the struggles of a childhood friend when choosing physical therapy as her prospective career.
“I have a friend who was in a car accident last year,” Hawkins said Wednesday morning during a tour of LifeStyles Medical Fitness Center. “I saw what was done for him. They thought he was going to be paralyzed, and he’s really starting to walk a little now.”
Joining Hawkins for the tour were Jasmine Ham of Southside High School and Haley Stringer of Washington High School. They were taking part in Job Shadow Day, sponsored by the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce.
Like Hawkins, Ham and Stringer said they were impressed upon seeing a loved one undergoing physical therapy.
“My father had a surgery on his arm, and he kind of inspired me by the way they were working with him,” Ham said. “It really made a difference. He couldn’t use his arm, and he was in a lot of pain.”
“I saw my grandma in the hospital, and she was getting physical therapy,” Stringer said. “This career gives you a chance to change someone’s life and make a difference.”
Allison Bedsole, director of physical therapy for Beaufort County Medical Center, conducted the tour and explained the various treatments available at the facility.
Bedsole, who serves on the chamber’s education committee, is an advocate for Job Shadow Day.
“We’ve been having students do this at least eight or 10 years, as long as I’ve been on the committee, and maybe longer,” Bedsole said. “It’s a great way to expose students to any profession, and let them learn more about what they want to do with the rest of their lives.”
Nearly 50 10th-graders from throughout Beaufort County were taking part in Wednesday’s event, according to Bedsole. Almost half spent the morning at Beaufort County Medical Center.
“There are 23 students here with us today,” Bedsole said. “They’re shadowing nurses and doctors or learning about the pharmacy, home health, radiology and physical therapy.”
Ham said the experience was enjoyable as well as educational since it allowed her to interact with students from other high schools.
“It’s really fun getting to know new people,” she said. “And this (LifeStyles) is like a family.”
The students and their mentors gathered early Wednesday morning for a breakfast meet-and-greet at Beaufort County Community College, according to Bedsole. They then spent several hours at various sites around Washington before returning to BCCC for a luncheon. The afternoon was spent meeting with counselors to discuss the day’s activities.