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Dr. Lily O'Clery is jumping into her physical therapy career with a prestigious opportunity. O'Clery, who earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree in May, will complete an acute care physical therapy residency at Duke University during the 2026-27 academic year.

The latest honor comes as no surprise to those who have known O'Clery for very long. She served as a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Taiwan in 2018-19 and 2019-20 and held a variety of leadership roles during her time as a DPT student. That included two years of co-directing the Student-Led Therapy and Rehab Clinic at Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Dahlonega Campus.

Some other rotations during her physical therapy studies were not O'Clery's favorite, but once she experienced acute care, it quickly clicked as where she wanted to build her future. Now she gets a chance to further train for those opportunities at one of the best programs in the country.

"In acute care, you're with someone and you're teaching them how to get back to regular life or adapt to a new circumstance," O'Clery said. "It's really such an honor to be able to do that."

O'Clery said the small cohort size helped her thrive in Â鶹ÊÓƵ's DPT program, as she and her classmates were able to "lean on each other" for support. She also expressed appreciation for her faculty members.

"If you are willing to put in the time, they will go above and beyond to help you," O'Clery said.

O'Clery previously earned her bachelor's degree in modern languages with a Chinese language and literature concentration from Â鶹ÊÓƵ in May 2018.

Dr. Victoria Hightower, associate director of the Nationally Competitive Scholarships office, has had the privilege of seeing O'Clery's growth since her undergraduate days. Hightower mentored O'Clery during her successful Fulbright application. Through the years, they have kept in touch as they have become friends, and Hightower continues to give feedback on applications. It's much different than the usual short time Hightower gets to know students while they are applying for scholarships.

"I got to journey with her, and she affected my journey as well. As a human, she has made an impact in my life," Hightower said. "I'm so proud of all of her work. She has worked really hard for her success."

Hightower said it makes sense O'Clery was able to earn the Duke opportunity.

"She can achieve anything she sets her mind to," Hightower said. "And she learned how to tell her story to many different audiences."

Dr. Rachael Walton-Mouw, an associate professor of physical therapy, served as O'Clery's DPT adviser. She said O'Clery knew all the physical therapy professors quickly because she made a point of asking questions to learn about the profession.

"She's tenacious in getting the information she doesn't know," Walton-Mouw said. "She always had a lens of what she was going to do with the information to help others later."

Dr. SueAnn McCall, a recently retired associate professor of physical therapy, said one of O'Clery's greatest strengths is her willingness to go above and beyond in every task. O'Clery also impressed McCall with her empathetic nature.

"She can see the world through a very large lens, and she works to meet the needs of those who are marginalized," McCall said.