After suffering a knee injury during high school, Antonio Rodríguez Jr., 30, became interested in physical therapy. But after graduation, he put aside thoughts of a career in that field and began working as a foreman for his family’s air-conditioning business.

“I was happy working for the family business, but there still was something in me that I knew I had to do,” says Rodriguez, who enrolled at South Texas College in McAllen, TX, in the Physical Therapist Assistant program with the encouragement of his wife, Melissa.

“She had just graduated from STC with an associate degree in nursing,” he says. “It was her and my family’s endless support that led me to realize I should follow my dream of becoming a physical therapist assistant.”

Once in the program, Rodriguez excelled in the required coursework. He became active in the STC Student PTA Club, where he held leadership roles, including serving as president. And he was selected as the sole recipient of the American Physical Therapy Association’s 2005 Minority Scholarship Award for Excellence.

In May 2005, Rodriguez completed an associate of applied science, physical therapist assistant degree. Three months later, he passed the Board Examination, and he currently is employed in Weslaco, TX, as a licensed physical therapist assistant.

“The STC PTA program was a very rewarding program,” says Rodriguez. “It gave me the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream to become a physical therapist assistant. I believe in this program, and I have proof of what it can do for anyone interested in learning.”