Rachel DuVivier

All my life I’d dreamt of dancing professionally. I pursued ballet so seriously I was willing to give up everything for it, and I did, so much so that I took a year off from high school to pursue it on a professional level. During that year however I came away with the firm conclusion that there was far more in life I cared to pursue then the four-mirrored walls I had come to know as home for the past 14 years.

As I will always be a dancer at heart I find the movement of the human body endlessly interesting and hope to one day pursue sports medicine and orthopedics as a way to integrate the world of medicine with that of dance.Medicine intrigues me in much the same way that ballet does. It requires a level of dedication that results in a tangible outcome and valuably contributes to the world we live in.

At Emory I am currently working in a research lab that utilizes dance specifically, as well as other forms of exercise, as rehabilitation therapies for patients with Parkinson's disease. It’s miraculous the everyday progress you can see in these patients whose muscles not too long ago seemed to be failing them.

After far to many injuries and countless nights with ice buckets to soothe my aching muscles I truly understand the rigors of a professional athletic career. As such I hope to one-day make a difference in the lives of athletes by pursuing sports medicine.