Jared Caya
Jared Caya, a 2010 orthotics & prosthetics bachelor’s degree graduate, discovered his true calling at St. Petersburg College.
When trying to decide on a major, I needed to discover what was important to me. What would make me wake up excited to go to work every morning? What would make me feel fulfilled? St. Petersburg College allowed me to answer all of these questions and more!
The summer of 2000, before my freshman year of high school, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Luckily, the tangerine-sized tumor was non-malignant. After two surgeries and being in All Children’s Hospital for several weeks, I was sent home tumor free. Despite being told that I must be homeschooled for at least six months, I was able to start at a public high school (after only one month of recovery) right on schedule.
When transferring from Dunedin High School to SPC, my stomach was in knots! My nerves were quickly settled, as I was lucky enough to take part in a program called Summer of Success, run by Student Support Services. This summer semester program allowed me to start college with a 4.0, create lifelong friendships, learn great life lessons and become very familiar with campus life and course offerings — all within one summer. This provided me with a great jump-start into my college career.
Despite not being very active within my high school, SPC brought me to life! I was active in Student Government, High Achievers, Student Support Services program and have also been a voluntary note taker for the Office for Services for Students with Disabilities. These extracurricular activities allowed me to discover myself and make lifelong friendships. Student Government allowed me to travel to great places, meeting local politicians both in the community and at the state capitol. I was able to get over my fear of public speaking by participating in Toast Masters (free of charge), participating in team-building rope courses and even camping in Disney! The list of positive experiences is countless.
I mistakenly transferred to another college (for family reasons only) after spending a year at SPC. I immediately regretted the decision as this other college did not come even close to providing me with a sense of community or learning experience as compared to SPC. After only one semester, I quickly returned to SPC. My SPC family welcomed me back with open arms and I was able to pick up right where I left off.
I began working (as a student worker) at the information desk as well as the fitness center, allowing me to obtain stronger communication skills. I was honored to have received several scholarships and financial aid from SPC, allowing me to continue my education with minimal expense.
All of these experiences lead me to feel the need to help others and become involved in changing the course of an individual’s life. During the spring semester of 2008, I was able to finish the prerequisite for the J.E. Hanger College of Orthotics and Prosthetics program. The beautiful Health Education Center provided me and 20 classmates with a brand new state-of-the-art orthotic & prosthetic lab and training facility.
The O&P program allowed us to have hands-on experiences both inside and outside of the classroom. While learning biomechanical effects of various orthotic and prosthetic devices on the human body, we were also experiencing the effect in real time, providing us with an in depth and well-rounded education. After graduating from the program with a B.A.S. in 2010, I quickly started and completed my one-year orthotic residency in Colorado Springs.
After sitting for and passing the American Board for Certification exams, I traveled to Massachusetts where I worked as a Certified Orthotist while completing my prosthetic residency. Moving to another part of the country allowed me to experience another part of the country and learn various techniques within the field. I am now back in Colorado where I work as a Certified Orthotist, manage the clinic and await upcoming prosthetic certification exams. Thanks to SPC, I have achieved more than I thought possible in a very short amount of time. The high tech laboratory at SPC allowed me to be on the cutting edge of functional electronic stimulation, CAD/CAM, and 3D scanning technologies all new and relevant to our field.
SPC not only provided me with a remarkable career and lifelong friends, it has given me a sense of who I am and what I am capable of. I will always be very thankful for what SPC has given me.
