性视界传媒

(This story was originally published in on Oct. 23, 2026)

Faith Barnes has a plan.

The senior Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) major knows what she wants to do when she graduates, and her path to achieving it is clear thanks to a partnership between 性视界传媒 and the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE).

Barnes wants to be an occupational therapist, and she plans to take advantage of an education affiliation agreement signed in 2024 between LU and ACHE to attend ACHE鈥檚 Doctor of Occupational Therapy program.

Through the agreement, LU students who meet ACHE鈥檚 general and program-specific admission requirements can choose to follow one of two paths into either ACHE鈥檚 Doctor of Occupational Therapy program or the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The first pathway guarantees a student鈥檚 placement in their program of choice while the second pathway allows students to bypass ACHE鈥檚 initial screening process and receive a guaranteed interview for their program of choice. Barnes is working on the first pathway.

LU students can apply for the Early Assurance Program through the LU Office of Academic Affairs. If accepted into the Early Assurance Program, students must complete all pre-requisite courses for their graduate program and enroll at ACHE within two years.

Barnes is currently working on her application, but after spending four days on ACHE鈥檚 campus participating in the Mentoring and Achievement Preparation (MAP) Program, she鈥檚 surer than ever this is the path she wants to pursue.

鈥淭he MAP Program was one of the most empowering and beneficial experiences I鈥檝e ever had,鈥� Barnes said. 鈥淚 gained not only valuable knowledge but a greater sense of confidence to pursue my passion for occupational therapy.鈥�

Students pursuing the guaranteed placement pathway through the Early Assurance Program, in addition to meeting all admissions requirements, must also participate in the MAP Program.

Launched in Spring 2023 by ACHE鈥檚 College of Health Sciences Admissions Department, School of Occupational Therapy and School of Physical Therapy, the MAP Program鈥檚 mission is to make a lasting difference in underserved communities and help reduce health disparities across the region. It鈥檚 designed to educate, encourage, equip and engage diverse students from underrepresented and underserved populations considering careers in occupational therapy or physical therapy.

The program welcomes participants to the ACHE campus in Fort Smith, Arkansas, each summer for an immersive experience followed by ongoing mentorship from faculty and current ACHE occupational therapy and physical therapy students. Additionally, the ACHE College of Health Sciences Admissions team provides participants with continued support in the form of admissions workshops, professional development events and application prep sessions.

鈥淥n top of providing actionable tools and clarity for my career path, the program gave me the privilege of having two mentors who guided me every step of the way,鈥� Barnes said. 鈥淚鈥檝e grown both personally and professionally, and I鈥檓 deeply grateful for the guidance and support as I work toward my future.鈥�

Barnes was one of two LU students who attended the MAP Program this summer. Fellow senior HPER major Ethan Stevenson also made his way to Arkansas for the program.

Stevenson wants to go to physical therapy school when he graduates, and he applied for the MAP Program because he wanted more insight into what that could look like. The opportunity to build relationships with people involved in a physical therapy program was an added bonus.

During the MAP Program, Stevenson had the opportunity to attend lectures with first, second and third-year physical therapy students. He met many of ACHE鈥檚 faculty and staff, including deans, professors and admissions coordinators. He also interacted with current ACHE students and participated in a cadaver lab where they performed a dissection to examine the shoulder. During these experiences, he was able to ask questions about ACHE鈥檚 physical therapy program and the physical therapy profession.

鈥淢y experience with the MAP Program was nothing short of amazing,鈥� Stevenson said. 鈥淕etting to see what a day in the life of a PT student could look like was one of the main reasons I applied, but I left with newly built relationships and friendships that have lasted even during my time away from Arkansas. The experience motivated me as a pre-PT student to improve my performance in the classroom and pursue opportunities within the physical therapy profession, such as becoming a PT technician. It has also been encouraging knowing that I have mentors at ACHE supporting me along the way.鈥�

Now that he鈥檚 returned to the Langston Campus, Stevenson is more motivated than ever to pursue physical therapy. He plans to apply for several programs, including ACHE, and his focus now is completing his bachelor鈥檚 degree and prerequisite courses.

鈥淚 am very happy that I applied for this experience because it completely changed my mentality and confidence as a student whose goal is to become a physical therapist,鈥� Stevenson said. 鈥淏efore ACHE accepted me into the MAP Program, I knew what I needed to do to apply to PT school, but MAP gave me the tools and guidance to not only work toward being accepted into a program but also to excel once I get there.鈥�