Cody and Alex Birely are justifiably proud members of the latest graduating cohort in the demanding St. Ambrose University Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
In hindsight, they are even prouder of their mother, Heather, who earned her St. Ambrose Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science degree in 2016 and her DPT degree a year later, all the while attending to myriad other tasks that come with the title of soccer mom.
"Mom was able to not only complete, but excel in one of SAU's most rigorous programs while also having a husband, working part time and raising three boys," said Alex. "It was an immense motivator to know she was an exceptional student and mother."
Alex followed his mother to SAU, earning a BS in Exercise Science degree at St. Ambrose in 2019. He also played soccer and got a head start on his doctorate as an early admit to the SAU DPT program.
Cody earned his undergraduate degree at Wartburg College in 2018 before entering the St. Ambrose DPT program.
A third brother, Kyle, is in his first year of the SAU DPT program after earning his undergraduate degree at Bradley University. He'll graduate in December of 2022.
Now a physical therapist in the acute care rehab wing at Genesis Medical Center in Davenport, Heather Birely did occasionally remind her sons how she navigated the program with a few more external challenges.
"I could do that and still pull grades. And they're a lot smarter than I am, so there wasn't any reason they couldn't do that, too," she said.
Still, Cody said Heather's fresh understanding of the rigorous nature of the program made empathy and encouragement the more common motherly input.
"She understood how stressful it can be at times," Cody said, noting the steepest climb early in the program was the need to see beyond textbook answers. "The world of PT isn't black and white and that's very frustrating when you've been in a system where there's a right answer for everything.
"She understood that and helped us get through it and helped our friends get through it, too."
Heather was in familiar territory in mentoring a DPT cohort. After all, she was a 35-year-old married "soccer mom" when she returned to school in 2012 and she had some years on other members of her DPT study team.
"I kind of felt like I was the mother of the group then," she said. "With my sons and their friends, I tried to offer the same support, answer their questions, and give them guidance other people had given me when I was in class."
Alex said living up to their mother's success was never a challenge in the SAU program.
"From Day One, they were very good about being sure you were your own person and took responsibility for your own decisions," he said. "They're developing you to be your own clinician."
In her work at Genesis, Heather sees SAU students who enter the clinical portion of their studies with a ready-made capacity for communicating with their patients. "They know how to talk to people and get the answers they need to help them," she said. "I think the St. Ambrose faculty have a lot to do with that."
Both Alex and Cody have residencies on the horizon, Alex through the Genesis Orthopedic program created in partnership with the SAU DPT program. In June, Cody will serve a neurologic residency in Charlotte, N.C.
Behind them both stands a proud mother who understands first-hand that what her two sons have accomplished - and a third soon will - was anything but easy.
"They are successful and I think they know more than I do," she said. "They are going to be good at whatever they do."
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