Dana Luczyszyn Physical Therapy Assistant Florida Community College, Class of 2007

Helping Others Grow Stronger

Dana Luczyszyn
Florida Community College, Class of 2007

Dana Luczyszyn has a dream — a dream to “help as many people as I can get stronger and more confident in their abilities.” And like all those who achieve their dreams, Dana has put her hopes on solid ground. It started with the physical therapy assistant program at Florida Community College.

Dana was born in Baltimore and moved to Philadelphia in 1993. She put her plan into action after she moved from Philadelphia to Jacksonville with her husband, Peter, and their children, Gabrielle, Michael and Peter.

“I chose FCCJ because it had a good reputation for instructors,” she said. “The classes were smaller and the student/teacher ratio was small. The campuses were convenient, too. And the physical therapy assistant program at FCCJ was accredited. I had heard from previous students that it was a great program.”

After completing the program, Dana was fully prepared to pursue her license, which she earned in November of 2007. Along the way, she was helped by internships that really paid off. “The internships opened the door to my present job. I interned at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in May of 2007 for six weeks. This allowed St. Vincent’s to assess my skills and in the end, they offered me a job.”

Her preparation was excellent. “FCCJ played a major role in my career in many ways,” Dana said. “The smaller classes allowed me to be more involved in the class discussions. The teachers are very helpful and caring. They make themselves available to the students.”

But that’s not all Dana found to like at FCCJ. “The campuses are beautifully kept and secure,” she said, “and the cost to attend FCCJ is very affordable.”

Dana’s dream is, indeed, coming true. And, as it has for so many other students, FCCJ helped make it happen.