Over the last two years as a student physical therapist, my eyes have been opened to the importance of advocacy and being involved with APTA. This past July, I had the incredible opportunity to attend both Leadership Congress and APTA Capitol Hill Day in Washington, D.C. Being able to work alongside other students, PTs, and PTA’s to help impact change for our profession was a life-changing experience.

While at the leadership congress, I was able to network with other DPT and PTA students from across the country and share our passions and vision for the future of the PT profession. As part of the leadership congress, we toured APTA’s Centennial Center, where we learned about APTA and all it has to offer its members. While there, we were also given the opportunity to collaborate with APTA staff on how to improve members’ experience. It was inspiring to be surrounded by other students who all had a shared passion for this profession and shared ways to help make it even better.

What stood out to me most from my experience in Washington, D.C., was the variety of people who attended the APTA Capitol Hill Day. I met PTs and PTA’s who had been practicing for 30+ years and some who had just graduated. Some PTs owned a private practice; others worked in a hospital setting, home health, rural areas, etc. So many different areas of the profession were represented, with everyone coming together with the shared goal of advocating for our fellow PTs, PTA’s, and patients. We presented several bills, from fighting against Medicare cuts to expanding telehealth opportunities and improving access in underserved areas. With each meeting I attended and each chance I had to share a story about these bills, I felt empowered that even as a student, I could advocate and actively work to improve our patients’ care. I am proud to have been a part of these efforts and feel inspired by what the future has in store.