Fatima Pena-Torres, a 2025 UNC Greensboro graduate, did not always picture herself becoming a physical therapist. After seeing a relative regain strength through physical therapy, she discovered a calling to help people. As a transfer student in UNCG’s Human Health Sciences program, she gained the knowledge, practical preparation and support she needed to take the next step toward that career in graduate school.
The Asheville resident transferred to UNCG in January 2024, knowing she wanted to pursue exercise science or a career in physical therapy.
“My sophomore year of high school, I planned to be an interpreter for immigration lawyers, but that was sort of my parents’ wish for me,” she said.
Her plans changed when a relative got into a motorcycle accident and lived in a physical therapy rehabilitation facility for a while.
“After that month, he looked a lot stronger. He still had to go to outpatient physical therapy two times a week, and I was the one who could take him,” Pena-Torres said. “I saw the impact on his life and how he got better, and his relationship with his therapists. I got to see the therapist and patient side of it.”
How UNCG’s Human Health Sciences Program Prepares Students
When Pena-Torres enrolled at UNCG, she joined the Human Health Sciences (HHSci) program, which offers allied health and pre-professional studies tracks. By the time she earned her bachelor’s degree in Human Health Sciences in December 2025, she was confident that physical therapy was the right career for her.
“HHSci was a new program, and everyone was close. The faculty showed they cared for their students’ growth,” Pena-Torres said. “It was like a little team, and they were preparing us for our careers, because they’d been there themselves.”
Pena-Torres also balanced college with military service. She enlisted in the National Guard while in high school and has served as a diesel mechanic for four years. She said UNCG’s support for military-affiliated students was an important part of her experience.
“The Military-Affiliated Services office was so welcoming. I went there for events and met other military students,” she said.
After graduation, she worked as the lead technician at a sports medicine office in the North Carolina mountains near Brevard College while completing additional classes.
“I worked directly with patients, helping with electrical stimulation, ice packs and red-light therapy, and I observed the clinicians,” Pena-Torres said. “I also ordered supplies and trained new technicians. The experience confirmed that physical therapy was what I wanted to do. You don’t always see a patient only once; you may work with that person for years. I became close to the patients.”
Ready for a Physical Therapy Program
Pena-Torres, now 22, initially planned to take a year off before applying to physical therapy programs. Instead, she applied to two schools that were still accepting applications and was admitted to both in summer 2026. She chose Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, after visiting the campus and meeting with professors.
“It’s been really good at Methodist. A bit like drinking out of a firehose, but everyone has clicked,” she said, of the 38 students in her cohort. “We hang out after class and we have different study tactics, but we connect.”
Pena-Torres attributes her early success in graduate school to her experience at UNCG and the Human Health Sciences program.
“The Human Health Sciences program prepared me for graduate school and for my work as a technician,” she said. “It taught me cultural competence and the importance of treating patients with kindness and respect, regardless of their background or opinions. Our responsibility is to provide the best possible patient care.”
She added that she feels better prepared at Methodist University than some of her classmates.
“I’m in classes that teach human health. In my test and measures class, we’re learning about blood pressure and vitals. Because I had a class on that at UNCG already, I brought that knowledge and a strong foundation with me and I can help my classmates,” Pena-Torres said.
Pena-Torres is grateful for her UNCG experience and for the faculty members who supported her path to physical therapy school. Now, she is building on that foundation as she prepares for a career centered on compassionate, respectful patient care.
Story by Sarah Newell, University Communications
Photography submitted by Fatima Pena-Torres
