Shannon Meggs first became interested in physical therapy as an undergraduate, working as both an athletic training student and a physical therapy aide.

“It was through both of these experiences that I developed a passion for the profession and knew I wanted to be a physical therapist,” she said.

During the past three years, the Tampa native has dedicated herself to getting the best education possible to be able to help others as a physical therapist.

“I love physical therapy because it gives me the opportunity to help improve a patient’s quality of life through education, exercise and manual interventions.

Now, just weeks shy from becoming Dr. Meggs, the USC Order of Areté recipient is about to embark on the next chapter of her career — a sports residency with USC Athletics.

Looking back on her time at USC so far, Meggs said the most valuable lesson she has learned has been the importance of being a lifelong learner.

“One of the best lessons I learned during my time in graduate school is that you should learn for the sake of knowledge — and not just to pass a test,” she said. “When you approach learning from this perspective, it makes learning enjoyable.

— Yasmine Pezeshkpour