A Life Changing Volunteer Experience with Empower Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
“I had the amazing opportunity to spend a week volunteering at Empower Spinal Cord Injury (SCI),” says Physical Therapy Professor J.J. Mowder-Tinney. Empower Spinal Cord Injury is a charitable organization that works with individuals with spinal cord disabilities to help them reach their highest potential for an independent life. During the Summer of 2018, Mowder-Tinney, and current physical therapy student Sarah Conroy each had a life changing experience working with Empower in Long Island, N.Y.
Empower puts on a yearly two-week event to show individuals with this type of disability all of opportunities they still have. It is hosted at Stony Brook University, so the volunteers and participants stayed in the dorms that were filled with both treatments, and laughter. Using few resources, Conroy and Mowder-Tinney applied their PT knowledge to treat and help the clients participate in different activities.
A day of surfing was the highlights of the program, where an unimaginable activity for individuals battling spinal cord injuries suddenly became possible. Conroy and Mowder-Tinney, along with a large group of other volunteers, carried the participants into the water on surfboards, while holding on tight and watching them closely, allowing them to ride the waves.
Knowing they were volunteering for a great cause, and given an opportunity to practice what they love, Conroy and Mowder-Tinney were unaware of the lasting impact this program would have on their own lives. "I went into this volunteer opportunity to make a difference and help as much as possible, but little did I know my own life would be changed in the process,” says Conroy.
As she looks back on her time with Empower, Conroy explains that it had been one of the most eye-opening and rewarding experiences. “I loved every minute of my Empower experience and am so blessed to have a new family in my life who not only left a lasting impact on my life, but has given me a new perspective on it as well.”
As chair of the Nazareth College Physical Therapy department, Mowder-Tinney’s time is limited. This summer, she found time in her schedule to volunteer with Empower SCI for an entire week. “I had been told for years by dear friends how much I would love it. But every year I felt my schedule was too busy to attend. Looking back at the experience, I realize that moving forward I don't have the time NOT to attend. What a true gift the week was to me.”
An experience like this is not one you can get in the classroom. Both Conroy and Mowder-Tinney understand how their time with Empower SCI has added value to their lives. “This opportunity was truly rejuvenating. It helped remind me why I love what I do and work so hard to teach the students to be the best therapists they can be,” Mowder-Tinney states.
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Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
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Physical Therapy student Sarah Conroy (in center of photo) takes a picture with a group of other volunteers, and individuals with spinal cord injuries participating in the Empower SCI program.