Class of 2026: Injury inspires Monroe senior to pursue physical therapy

A career path wasn’t part of the plan when Jalik Reyes first entered high school.

“I really did not know what I was interested in,” he said. “I just wanted to get school over with.”

A last-minute switch into a health sciences class would change that direction.

“I switched out of an elective class into one of the HSA classes,” Jalik said. “It was kind of a last-minute ditch, but that’s how I got into it.”

That decision placed him into the Health Sciences Academy (HSA) at Monroe High School and eventually introduced him to a career path he had never considered.

Today, Jalik is gaining hands-on health care experience as a youth apprentice in outpatient rehabilitation at Atrium Health Union. In the paid role, he works alongside physical, occupational and speech therapists, helping prepare treatment spaces, assisting with patient movement and supporting daily clinical operations.

“Anything they really need me to do, I just get it done,” he said. “It helps them operate faster and see more patients.”

For Jalik, the experience became personal long before it became professional. A running injury during high school left him with a fractured hip and introduced him to physical therapy from the patient side.

“Seeing how much the therapists cared about their patients and the precision they put into their work really stuck with me,” he said. “They took the time to make sure I could get back to normal.”

The opportunity is part of the academy, supported by a grant from The Duke Endowment, which provides students with hands-on experience in health care settings while still in high school.

Melissa Hines, who works for Atrium Health and oversees HSA at the high school, said Jalik set himself apart early in the selection process.

“Jalik stood out because of his demeanor,” she said. “He’s calm, professional and very observant. He pays attention to what’s happening around him and wants to understand the details.”

As his experience grew, so did his clarity about the future.

“The apprenticeship exposes me to the people I could work with and the kind of patients I’ll be helping,” he said.

Jalik will continue his path at Wingate University, where he plans to study physical therapy.

Outside the hospital, he balances dual-enrollment coursework with indoor and outdoor track and field, a schedule that demands discipline and time management. He will also graduate with an associate degree from South Piedmont Community College alongside his high school diploma.

“Time management is a real thing,” he said. “If you want to do multiple things at once—school, sports and work—that’s a skill you have to learn.”

Still, he sees athletics as an outlet.

“You can just get off your phone, clear everything out and run,” he said. “You’re not in high school forever, so you have to enjoy the moments you get.”

Through HSA, Jalik has also participated in medical field experiences, community outreach and student presentations introducing younger students to health care pathways.

“If HSA hadn’t been available to me, I don’t know if I would be on the path I’m on now,” he said. “It could have been very different.”

For Hines, that reflection underscores the program’s impact.

“It makes me very proud of the work that we do and the connections we make with students,” she said. “At the end of the day, the student still has a choice, so it’s exciting and humbling to know this opportunity helped shape his path.”

Looking back, Jalik offers simple advice to students still searching for direction.

“Don’t count yourself out,” he said. “If something sparks your interest, chase it.”

For a student who once saw school as something to get through, that spark has become a clear path forward and a future already taking shape.