Jessica Carter Peer has never been the type to sit on the sidelines. An avid softball player all her life, she helped FGCU’s women’s softball team win the conference championship in 2008. So when one of her Marieb College of Health and Human Services professors quoted Gandhi by saying, “Be the change [agent] you want to see in this world,” it resonated deeply with her.

After working in the field for a few years, Jessica decided she wanted to be that change agent. Encouraged by people in the community to step up and have a voice, she ran for the board at Lee Health, a publicly elected position. Today she has a seat at the table in deciding how this not-for-profit hospital system can be more proactive and preventative to save costs and improve wellness.

As she looks ahead in her career, she wants to get her doctorate so she can reach patients who might benefit from the same motivation she was able to receive through the programs at FGCU. Her current degree is more focused on prevention and wellness, but the doctorate will make it possible to address rehabilitation, education and therapy—areas that create life-altering change in people’s lives.

As a student in Marieb College, I received one-on-one opportunities with my professors and had clinical rotations that were more involved than you can get at other colleges.

From playing first base on a championship team and studying the physiology behind the sports she loves to creating change in her field, FGCU and Marieb College have helped fulfill Jessica’s passions. Summing it up she says, “Your dreams come true at FGCU.” So as she looks ahead to a future as a doctor of physical therapy, there’s no better place she can think of to earn her degree.