August 12, 2024 | Erin Bluvas, bluvase@sc.edu

Growing up in Canada, Lemir Lira felt like he got to travel the world without even leaving his hometown. “Toronto was such a diverse and multicultural city that exposed me to different foods, music and customs,” he says.

After studying psychology at York University, Lira moved back to Houston, Texas, where he was born. He spent a couple years working with youth in underserved communities before enlisting in the U.S. Army.

Following Basic Training and Airborne School, Lira found himself stationed at Ft. Liberty in North Carolina. He also found himself afflicted by some minor orthopedic injuries and setbacks.

“This is where my exposure to physical therapy in the military setting began, and I had my ‘lightbulb’ moment realizing I could combine my two passions of continuing military service with the pursuit of a career in health care,” Lira says. “I had a new mission: to serve my fellow soldiers as a physical therapist when they were at their most vulnerable.”

While continuing his military service – first as a paratrooper with the U.S. Army National Guard and then as an infantry sniper with the SC Army National Guard – he began looking into Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs.  The Department of Exercise Science’s research-oriented curriculum and its warm and welcoming staff put the Arnold School at the top of his list.

“I was very happy to hear that USC is known to be a very military-friendly institution, which allowed me to balance being a member of the SC Army National Guard while simultaneously juggling my academic studies,” Lira adds. “I was very lucky to be provided the opportunity to select clinical sites that best aligned with my goal of serving military veterans and active-duty service members.”

Rotating among sites like Shaw Air Force Base and the William Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Lira says he received outstanding mentorship from all his clinical instructors. He particularly connected with Matthew Geary, Cathy Arnot and Alicia Flach.

“I cannot give enough thanks to my amazing program clinical director, Dr. Geary, who always made himself available to meet and discuss clinical site placements that best aligned with my future career goals,” Lira says. “I had a marvelous research supervisor, Dr. Arnot, who put my mind at ease when working on our final program research project. Lastly, I was very fortunate to have been paired with a faculty mentor, Dr. Flach, who continues to inspire me today to break barriers and advocate for our patients and the PT profession.”

After graduating this month, Lira plans to specialize in orthopedics and become a Physical Therapy Officer in the U.S. Army to serve the military members who sacrifice so much and work tirelessly to keep the country safe. He’ll miss the gorgeous campus, the capital city’s vibrant food scene and strolls along the Congaree River.

“My experience at USC’s Columbia campus has been amazing from beginning to end, and the DPT program was designed with the student in mind,” says Lira, who appreciated the small class sizes and mentorship from faculty and upper-class members from day one. “I know that my degree and time spent at USC has best prepared me to serve soldiers by instilling in me the importance of seeking the most current evidence-based PT practices.”    

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