The email was sent to Patience Brock (11) in early spring of 2023. After months of waiting, the Wilson Talent Center (WTC) sent out their placements. She scanned the screen for some sort of “sorry” or “congratulations,” but instead Brock found herself reading a bittersweet message: “waitlist.” It was already painful enough waiting for the first email. Now, she’d have to wait longer. 

“I was sad at first, but I knew this was my spot,” Brock said. 

Brock toured the talent center on the annual trip last year. Despite being set on going to veterinary school, something else drew her in. Without knowing what to expect, she quickly realized how nervous she was in a brand new environment with a new group of people. 

“When I was walking through the door, I saw how ginormous their building was and the amount of classes I could choose from,” Brock said. “It was crazy.” 

The long halls of WTC flashed various career paths at Brock as she walked past classroom after classroom. She toured three different programs at WTC, yet all she could think about was her potential future as a physical therapist. 

“I ended up liking the Health Foundations class before I toured Physical Therapy,” Brock said. “I just didn’t like the Health Foundations teacher. Once I met Daryn Baker, the Physical Therapy teacher, I fell in love with his class. Everything about it.” 

After a couple more months, she got off of the waitlist and ended up in the Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine class of 20 students, which is much bigger than a traditional WTC class.

Once Brock was off of the waitlist and placed at WTC, she acclimated fast. She had never really thought about high school as something she could enjoy. The hands-on aspects of the class allowed for Brock to learn in a way that motivated her to keep learning. 

“I really look forward to going to WTC every day,” Brock said. “I love how different my classes at WTC are, and my days go by so much faster.” 

Besides being a great educational opportunity for Brock, WTC has been the high school experience Brock has always wanted. The people that she works with in class at WTC everyday make her feel welcome and accepted, an experience she didn’t have at ELHS. 

 “I’ve been bullied a lot,” Brock said. “A lot of the people that I go to school with I’ve been going to school with since elementary school. It’s hard to want to stay at ELHS when I don’t feel the same welcome.” 

Now that Brock has gotten a taste of an alternative path, she knows she can’t go back to a traditional high school experience. Beyond that, she also has something to look forward to after graduation.

“WTC has given me a foot in the door for more than just college,” Brock said. “I know what career path I want to take, and more importantly what I need to do to finish college and make that happen.”

Brock has spent the past few months learning skills like athletic taping and compression therapy. She has gotten the opportunity to work with different people, and believes she has a great headstart into pursuing physical therapy after high school.  

Brock plans to attend Central Michigan University and major in Physical Therapy. After that, she wants to return to East Lansing and work with local college athletes as a sports physical therapist.

“I know now that when it does come to the time that I do need to work as a physical therapist I will be ready,” Brock said. “With this, I finally feel like I know what I am doing.”