Personal Statement
I value accomplishment, education, family, helping others, integrity, loyalty, respect, and security. I am often determined, hardworking, ready for a challenge, patient, understanding, and positive. I was born in Charlotte, NC and moved to Oakville, Canada and then Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for my dad’s work. My mother is a native Charlottean and my father is originally from southern Germany, he moved here when he was in his twenties. I went to a public Montessori elementary school where I gained a love for learning and working with children. In middle school I began horseback riding and fell in love. I jumped right into horseback riding and began working at the barn in 8th grade to help pay for my new hobby. I also began babysitting in middle school and have had consistent babysitting/nannying jobs ever since. I am First Aid/CPR/AED certified in adults and children. In high school I began volunteering at a Therapeutic Riding Center. This is where my interest in physical therapy came to be. I worked with children with many different disabilities and helped them ride and made sure they were safe on the horse. My job was to be a side walker. I walked beside the horse and rider to make sure everyone was safe and having fun. I had many fun, interesting experiences as a side walker. I loved creating relationships with kids and watching them learn, grow, and meet their goals. I am someone who likes to be able to see change and I feel this is something I will be able to see in PT. I worked hard in high school taking 8 AP classes. My senior year of high school I received the State Employees Credit Union Scholarship and decided to attend UNC Asheville. I have really enjoyed my first year at UNCA so far. I have thrived academically and become very involved in the UNCA community. I am a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority, where I am currently secretary and Webmaster. I am also a member of the newly founded German Club, where I am treasurer. I am a member of the Delta Phi Alpha German honors society and the Phi Eta Sigma honors society. I am a Girls On The Run coach and started the first annual UNCA Run-A-Thon in support of Girls on the Run of WNC’s scholarship program this spring.
I hope to graduate in 2017 with Honors, a member of the Honors program, a community engaged scholar, and a double major in Psychology and Health and Wellness with a minor in German. In a year I hope to be well into my majors and possibly interning with a Physical Therapist. In 5 years I hope to be attending the UNC Chapel Hill Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. In 10 years I hope to be working as a pediatric physical therapist.
Personal Philosophy of Health and Wellness
I believe everyone should have access to health care without paying an arm and a leg. People should also have access to opportunities to prevent health problems from occurring in the future, like healthy foods and medications. In the United States today we look for easy fixes, which can sometimes be good, but sometimes it can harm people even more in the long run. I think instead of trying to only look for a cure for the growing number of diseases, we should also look at ways to prevent diseases from occurring and spreading in the first place. I feel the first step in preventative medicine is education and a simple thing that can make a huge difference in the lives of Americans today is knowledge of a healthy diet and exercise. Though I would not like to work specifically in the public health/ preventive medicine fields, I find these topics very interesting and relatable to what I would like to do in the future as a job.
In high school I volunteered at a therapeutic horseback riding farm, where I got to experience first hand the impact physical therapy can have on someone with a physical disability. My hope is to become a Pediatric Physical Therapist in the future. I would like to do this because PT can prevent further disabilities from occurring and it can significantly a child’s quality of life. I like to be able to physical see the impact I have made and I believe I will be able to do this in PT. I know sometimes it might be hard and frustrating, but in the long run seeing the impact I have on a child’s life will all be worth it. I love and have always loved working with children and I hope to continue working with them because they can bring a unique, fun, and interesting perspective to many different situations.
Though I would like to be a physical therapist I would also like to work with Non Profits on other Public health issues. I hope to continue working with Girls On The Run in the future and maybe become some type of PT coordinator. I think it might be interesting to make GOTR more excisable to those with disabilities as well.
Contact Information
Anja Elizabeth Mayr
Current Address: 2500 University Heights UNCA Box 7850 Asheville, NC
Permanent Address: 1704 Hawthorne Ln Charlotte, NC 28205
704-975-2055
amayr@unca.edu
Anja Mayr 