Taylor Morris, SPT | 3rd Year DPT Student @ Wichita State University

While juggling tests, assignments, and clinicals, Taylor Morris has turned his hardship of school expenses into ​a growing business. Check out below why he was chosen as a SPT Spotlight!
                                                                            ...
​​“Find what you love to do and do it well. Make the world a better place.” 
This is a quote I heard recently that perfectly sums up my unique experience while in PT school. Three years ago my wife, Susan, and I were both working full time. I was an Athletic Trainer and serving in the Army National Guard and Susan was an ER nurse. We were financially stable and had just bought our first house when we were both accepted into graduate school in the same year. She started her DNP and I started working towards my DPT. Suddenly we had no income and were living on student loans. Not long after, we decided a little girl would be an amazing addition to our family! It was during this critical time of financial stress that the idea of my woodworking shop started to develop. I needed something that could earn enough money to help ease our burden yet flexible enough to work around family and school.
​ 
It took a lot of trial and error but two years later my business is going better than I could have ever hoped for. It’s the constant drive of always improving that has gotten me this far. I specialize in custom engraved wooden American flags and truly enjoy the stories behind each piece. I’ve also been able to donate a small portion of every sale to the charity Homes for Our Troops. They build adaptive homes for injured veterans to enable them to focus on rehab, family, and return to their lives as quickly and independently as possible. Not only does this correspond with my patriotic style of woodworking, but also my soon to be career as a PT! Woodworking has brought me a lot of joy and sense of fulfillment and has enabled me to do my small part in making the world a better place while in school. So I want to challenge other PTs and DPT students! Find what it is that motivates you and has brought you this far! What is it that you love about Physical Therapy? There is no such thing as too busy. Don’t settle for being “okay.” Creating “okay” flags never would have made me successful. And like my flags, always find better ways, always push for new ideas, and be passionate about your product. Then you can dedicate yourself fully to your patients and begin to make the world a better place.