Earning her physical therapy degree in May marks the latest milestone for Feather Wright’s decades-long relationship with the discipline that began during her initial career in the U.S. Army.

She served much of her 22-year career in her native Texas, ending her tenure in the high-risk infantry. While on duty, she sustained several injuries, including a broken ankle, a torn meniscus and stress fractures in her hip. “My experiences in PT were trying to heal and get back to doing what I had to do to perform for the Army,” she said.

Working with physical therapists helped Wright identify PT as a possible career path after she retired from the military. “They all seemed to really enjoy their job, and I loved being a patient because the PTs became my friends,” said Wright, vice president of VCU’s Class of 2025. “It was a very inviting environment.”

Wright also wanted her post-military work to focus on helping people achieve their personal goals, something she had already pursued by becoming a certified personal trainer. “I thought PT would be cool, because I could build on those skills but have more of a career than if I were just training people,” she said.

After retiring from the military, Wright and her family relocated to Williamsburg so her husband could earn his business degree from the College of William & Mary. After ultimately settling in Powhatan, she decided to finally pursue her PT degree.

Returning to higher education after many years in the military was challenging for Wright. She had to retake all prerequisite courses, because the credits from her previous degrees were too dated to transfer. She also had to balance a full course load and commute to the College of Health Professions while raising three daughters.

“I had to prioritize having conversations with my family about what I had going on to set expectations. I would work with my husband to figure out how we could coordinate schedules around bigger events,” Wright said. “I’d also make good use of my time. While my youngest daughter was at track or volleyball practice, I’d be studying in the car.”

When not busy with their own commitments, Wright’s daughters helped by quizzing her on study topics and lying on her massage table so she could conduct hands-on exercises. “They’ve been my ‘practice dummies,’” she joked. Her studies also reinforced the importance of PT to her kids, two of whom have gone through it themselves.

Prioritizing rest was another key to Wright’s success, including 10 p.m. bedtimes and taking Saturdays off to attend church and step away from her studies. “Having that whole day of rest really helped rejuvenate me, and when Sunday came around, I was ready to hit it hard again,” she said.

After graduation, Wright plans to work at the Centra Southside Medical Center, an outpatient clinic in Farmville. Having grown up in an extremely rural community, she is excited to serve a population whose access to PT is relatively limited.

“There’s a really good mix of patients — from pediatrics to elderly, from people recovering from surgery to those who need help with their balance or have a vestibular dysfunction,” she said. “I want to give back to the people who I feel like were the kind of people I grew up around.”

By John Battiston