Oct. 14, 2025
Many students come to Grand Rapids Community College with a specific goal in mind. But that’s not everyone. A large number of students arrive unsure which career might fit their skills.
For GRCC alumnus Erick Hernandez, that willingness to explore led to a career he loves.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do after high school,” Hernandez said. “My parents did not finish high school and they wanted a different path for me. I knew that a degree would open more doors, but I didn’t know which doors sounded interesting.”
Erick chose GRCC because it was an affordable choice and his credits would transfer to a four-year university. He started with general education courses as a stepping stone to whatever might come next.
And then he discovered Introduction to Exercise Science.
“I like to exercise and I thought medicine was cool,” he said. “So I took this class with Professor Laura Kennett, and suddenly the light bulb in my brain clicked on. I talked to her, and she encouraged me to start exploring careers in this field.”
While browsing the options, Erick came across physical therapy and thought it sounded interesting. He went on a job shadow and suddenly found his focus.
“I loved physical therapy, but I still faced some big hurdles,” Hernandez said. “Getting into a physical therapy program is not easy. Until you’re actually in, you’re not sure it’s going to happen. The day I got the email saying I had been accepted at my first choice school, I immediately called my parents. My mom was crying, and my dad couldn’t believe it happened. They were really proud of me.”
A few years later, Erick holds a doctorate in physical therapy and practices at a worker’s compensation clinic, where he primarily helps people recover from on-the-job injuries.
The good news is that Erick loves physical therapy as much today as when he first started.
“I enjoy the process of problem solving to help my patients,” Hernandez said. “The feeling of making a positive difference in someone’s life is why I fell in love with the field and why I love it so much now. When I was a physical therapy technician, I was executing another person’s plan. Now that I’m the one managing the journey, it’s even more exciting. Learning to think critically and communicate well are important parts of the role.”
Erick finds the work both challenging and rewarding, and he is already looking ahead.
“My plan is to work toward a specialist certification in orthopedic surgery in the next five years, where I would focus on post-surgical recovery and musculoskeletal impairments,” Hernandez said.