Athletics, health and people are interests that have steadily grown and come together throughout Selena Kennedy’s life, particularly during her teenage years.
“I worked at a physiotherapy clinic for my high school co-op placement. There, I was introduced to physical rehabilitation and everything clicked for me,” she says. “I started thinking about what I could do in the field, and a lot of my high school teachers encouraged me to study kinesiology.”
Once Redeemer expanded its co-op program to include kinesiology, Kennedy didn’t hesitate to start the application process. Her first placement was at the YMCA of Hamilton, Burlington and Brantford as a Live Well coach, where she supervised rehabilitation education programs for people with chronic mental and physical conditions. This past year, she completed her second placement as a chiropractic assistant at Nottinghill Family Wellness Centre in Oakville, Ontario. Both experiences have made her keenly aware of the value that comes with applying classroom theory within a workplace setting and vice versa.
“I find that absolutely amazing. Not everyone gets to practice what they’re learning.”
Kennedy has also witnessed firsthand how spiritual transformation works in tandem with physical healing, something she’s sure not to take for granted.
“For example, one of my clients at the YMCA had recovered from a stroke but had suffered significant physical ailments,” she says. “He lost a large amount of strength and coordination which had affected his ability to walk independently. After I helped him through his rehab and exercise program, he shared with me that one of his goals was to walk again. One day, he turned to me and asked me if I could help him walk on the treadmill. So I did, and he was able to walk slowly by himself for two minutes with no assistive walking aid. He turned to me and told me that he hadn’t walked by himself in four years and it was because of my help that he had the strength and confidence to do so. Stories like that inspire and motivate me even more to serve and love people who are suffering physically. I feel so privileged to even be a witness to these miracles and to participate in God’s work.”
Redeemer has provided the right experiences, teachers and community for the path God has put ahead of me.
As she sets out to complete her fifth year and thinks ahead to graduation, Kennedy looks forward to entering the working world with gratitude and confidence.
“After Redeemer, I plan to become an acute care physiotherapist and then, hopefully, continue to love people as they transition from a hospital bed back into their everyday lives. Redeemer has provided the right experiences, teachers and community for the path God has put ahead of me.”