Curt McGovern has wanted to be a physical therapist for years.
It all started back in high school, when he hurt his back weightlifting and discovered the benefits of physical therapy. Curt, who had always liked science, physical fitness, and helping other people, was intrigued to find a profession that combined all three of those interests.
When he came to Franciscan University and started taking classes as a biology major, those interests began to bloom in new ways.
In the science department, Curt joined the research team led by biology professor Dr. Kyle McKenna, where he helped design and present projects focusing on ethical alternatives to aborted fetal stem cell lines in medicine.
“It was an amazing experience,” recalls Curt. “I got to see the side of science that is beyond what we see in the classroom.”
When he wasn’t in the lab, Curt would often be at the gym, leading fitness classes for students, staff, and faculty as a personal trainer. His early interest in weightlifting became a passion for athletic training, which he enjoys sharing with others.
“Working out is my biggest hobby,” Curt says.
He especially loves competing in extreme endurance obstacle-course challenges such as the Toughest Mudder, a 12-hour overnight race he has completed twice.
Not only does he support others in their fitness goals, but Curt also supports people in their faith. For six semesters, he has volunteered with SENT Ministries to help lead retreats—something he has been drawn to ever since he became a peer minister for his youth group in high school.
During his freshman year at Franciscan, Curt went on his first-ever mission trip, inspired by advice his family back home in Frederick, Maryland, gave him before he left for college: “Just do a lot. Try things.”
With that in mind, Curt says, “I thought to myself, ‘Why not sign up for a mission trip?’”
That’s how he ended up spending that spring break in Los Angeles, handing out food and water to the homeless in places like Skid Row.
By the time he was a senior, Curt had been invited to lead the mission to New Mexico.
“It felt like God was saying, ‘Just trust me and see where it goes,” he recalls.
He accepted, and this past March led a group of Franciscan students doing retreats and relational ministry with children at a Catholic school on a Navajo reservation.
“It was such a joy,” he says. “All the things I’ve been worrying about being a senior, all those things just left my mind, and I could just play tag with these little children and have fun in that moment.”
After graduating from Franciscan in May, Curt has a long-term goal and a short-term goal.
The long-term goal? Earning his doctorate in physical therapy through a military program.
The short-term goal? Completing a 30-mile Spartan Ultra race the weekend after graduation.
In both cases, he is ready to surmount any obstacle on the way to the finish line.
