Amanda Nesselbush '04

Amanda Nesselbush Class of 2004 and her husband and daughter

After graduating from Whitfield in 2004, Amanda attended St. Louis University and graduated with a bachelor’s of exercise science with a certificate in visual communications in 2008. In 2010, she earned her doctorate of physical therapy. After graduating from SLU, she joined St. Luke’s Hospital and has been an outpatient physical therapist there for almost ten years. She treats mostly general orthopedic diagnoses but also specialize in treating the oncology population. Eight years ago she helped to implement and develop a physical therapy-based oncology rehab program to help people during cancer treatments.

“Physical therapy allows me to work directly with patients and help them achieve their goals. Every patient brings with them a new challenge or problem to solve which keeps every day interesting.”

How did Whitfield prepare you for college and beyond?

One of the greatest gifts from my education at Whitfield was the job shadowing opportunity provided in my senior year through the internship program. It allowed me to explore physical therapy as a career path. Because I was so confident in knowing what I wanted to pursue, SLU’s direct entry physical therapy program allowed me to finish my degrees in just six years.

What were some of your favorite classes at Whitfield? Why?

One of my favorite classes at Whitfield was 12th grade English class with Dr. Hays. His style of teaching was very similar to many of the college professors I encountered at SLU. Although I no longer have most of my school books and textbooks, I can’t part with my copy of Siddartha from his class.

How have you stayed involved with Whitfield since graduation?

Since graduating, I have attended family-friendly alumni events. Snow Fun has been my family’s favorite event so far. We also hosted a week-long foreign exchange student who was studying at Whitfield. Our daughter really enjoyed meeting someone from another country and bonded with the student immediately. We especially enjoyed the festival at the end of the week for the host families and students.

AMANDA’S TIPS FOR AN ERGONOMIC HOME OFFICE:

As teachers and students start their distance learning, and parents work remotely, I recommend taking the time to set up a computer workstation ergonomically to prevent back pain, neck pain, and eye strain.

Monitor/Screen: The top of the monitor should line up at or just below the top of your head. It should be about one arm’s length away. If using a laptop, place the laptop on a stack of books and use a wireless keyboard/mouse. Make sure the monitor is directly in front of you so you don’t have to keep your neck in a turned position as you work.
Chair: Your low back should be fully supported with hips back in the chair. If your feet are not flat on the floor in this position, support them with a small footrest. Adjust armrests so your arms gently rest on them with shoulders relaxed. You can also try alternating your chair with a swiss ball for short durations throughout the day.
Mouse: Your wrists should be straight with the keyboard flat or at a negative angle. Do not use wrist rests that put your wrist into extension (bent backwards).
Eye strain: Blue blocking light glasses can be effective in reducing eye strain. You can get them with or without magnification.
Take breaks: Try the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds to look away from your screen at something 20 feet away from you.

RESOURCES