Growing up in a Mennonite community near Waynesboro, hard work and serving her neighbors meant a great deal to Julie Burkholder. She is putting those values to work using the Physical Therapist Assistant degree she earned in May 2025.
Burkholder, who was homeschooled, grew up watching her mother perform elder care for others, including her grandmother. She also recalled home healthcare workers coming by to help take care of her grandmother following a massive stroke.
“Just watching the skill and the compassion and the way they worked with her and seeing how she was slowly able to recover through the therapy services, really impacted me,” said Burkholder.
At the time, she was in high school and suffering from academic burnout.
“I wasn’t ready to go into a dedicated program, so I shelved it for the moment and worked at some places,” said Burkholder.
One of these positions was as a nanny to a special-needs toddler, who was unable to speak or walk.
“Watching how his therapists worked with him and how they were able to start bringing him out rekindled my interest in therapy,” Burkholder said. “It was soon after that I met a friend who had graduated from the Germanna Community College PTA program. She was telling me all about this two-year program.”
Burkholder did some research and saw that Laurel Ridge was offering the PTA program as an accredited satellite site for Germanna’s program at the Luray-Page County Center (LPCC) and applied. However, starting in fall 2026, Laurel Ridge will be operating the PTA program as an accredited, independent site.
“I thought the PTA program was very well-laid out and very comprehensive,” she said. “It touched on all the major things I needed to know as a PTA working in the field.
“Dr. Rekha Parameswaran was so much fun. I love the energy she brings and the dedication she has to the program and each of the students. She made me feel very supported, like I could do this. It was like I had a cheerleader, but also a coach and a mentor.”
Burkholder, who received the Beltane Scholarship, is working at South River Rehabilitation and Performance in Staunton. The office provides outpatient physical therapy and specializes in sports medicine.
“I love the aspect of being a team player,” Burkholder said of her role. “It makes me and the physical therapist work closely together to make sure the patient is getting the exact care that they need.
“I really want to serve my community, and I love being able to work with people I rub shoulders with at Walmart, or at church, or different social events. It’s really special.”
Learn more about the PTA program at laurelridge.edu/PTA.
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.