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To say Claire Campbell DPT '28 is making the most of her college experience at Alvernia may be an understatement.

Campbell enrolled in 2022 as an accelerated Healthcare Science 3+3 Doctor of Physical Therapy student. The program essentially allowed her to save a year of tuition and start her career earlier.

“I was the student that constantly needed to be challenged, so I knew Alvernia would push me outside my comfort zone, academically and personally," she said. "I came to Alvernia wanting to reinvent myself… and grow into the person I knew I could become. I carried with me a simple belief: positive things happen to positive people. I did not know then how that mindset would shape my journey.”

In her sophomore year, Campbell and fellow students Hailey Keperling, Madison Matthews and Katelynn Nedimyer created a community called the Pre-PT Organization for undergraduate students interested in physical therapy. What started as four students with an idea became an effort that connected undergraduate and graduate PT students through mentorship, friendship, professional growth and leadership.

The next year, she and those lifelong friends dared to dream again, aiming to bring a Mini THON-style event to Alvernia. By Campbell’s junior year, the dream became a reality and Team FTK (For the Kids) was born. The first year, the completely student-led campus-wide event raised more than $11,000, making it the highest-fundraising Team FTK event in the country through Four Diamonds, a nonprofit organization supporting children with cancer and their families. Each hour of the mini-THON carried a different theme, with student organizations and clubs creating games, activities and more moments aimed at keeping the energy alive throughout the 16-hour experience.

“What stays with me is knowing four students had an idea, believed in it enough to pursue it, and it turned into a tradition that could continue to impact others long after we graduated,” Campbell said.

Through her many experiences at Alvernia, which included a pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy, Campbell said perhaps the greatest lesson she’s learned is that positivity is something no one can take away from you.

“I have also learned the importance of simply checking in on people,” says Campbell, something she puts to practice in her role as a graduate assistant for the Office of Accessibility Services.

There, she serves as an academic coach, helping students develop strategies for navigating the challenges of college. But that’s not what means most to her.

“I have found that my favorite part of this position is getting to know the person behind the student," she said. "I have had the opportunity to learn about students’ lives, interests, experiences, and the things that make them who they are. Sometimes, something as simple as asking, 'What makes you, you?' can completely change the conversation. I have seen students’ eyes light up when they realize that someone is genuinely interested in knowing them as a person rather than simply focusing on their grades or accommodations."

Part of what’s shaped her attitude and outlook is certainly the mentors she’s met along the way.

Campbell, who hopes to become a pediatric physical therapist post-graduation, asserts, “I am especially grateful to Dr. Thompson, Dr. Porazzo, Dr. Bertoti and my physical therapy professors who have challenged me academically, supported me professionally and provided an outlet of support when I needed it most. Their guidance has helped shape not only the student and future physical therapist I am, but the person I have become.”