Scholarships help physical therapy grad

Large family group gathered outdoors beneath palm trees, smiling as they hold a graduate in a white dress horizontally in celebration. The group spans multiple generations and poses on a sunny walkway surrounded by lush greenery.

Dr. Jamilex Tham-Morrobel with her family after commencement in May 2026

As the oldest daughter of seven siblings, Jamilex Tham-Morrobel, DPT, ’26, became a natural caregiver.

“This is why I’m in healthcare,” said Tham-Morrobel, a recent graduate of the MUSC College of Health Professions’ physical therapy program. “I’m used to making sure everyone’s OK and looking after everyone.”

Built-in support: family and finances

Having a big family means a built-in support system. But like many students pursuing careers in healthcare, she had to navigate the financial realities of earning an advanced degree.

Across MUSC’s six colleges, nearly 3,000 students demonstrate financial need as they prepare for careers in healthcare – making donor-funded scholarships an important investment in the next generation of providers.

Tham-Morrobel paid for her undergraduate education by playing basketball. She also shared that she worked three part-time jobs before beginning clinical rotations to help cover expenses.

While those jobs were related to her field of study – she was a caregiver for a woman with spinal fractures and a supplemental instructor for PT students in addition to being a server at a restaurant – working long hours makes it difficult to study.

“I had to sneak it in between classes sometimes,” she said.

A little goes a long way

Scholarships of all sizes can make a meaningful difference for students like Tham-Morrobel. She was awarded the Come Together Physical Therapy Scholarship, which helped cover important expenses beyond tuition – including the steps required to begin her career.

“Residency applications were not cheap,” Tham-Morrobel said. “Scholarships also helped me pay for my licensing exam.”

She also said that the scholarship helped her to feel more independent, since her family is eight hours away in Virginia.

Graduate in a white off-the-shoulder dress poses beside a stone column outside a historic building, smiling while holding a black graduation cap. She wears a green academic hood and gold jewelry, with marble floors and classical architecture in the background.

Dr. Jamilex Tham-Morrobel will continue her education with a residency at Brooks Rehab in Jacksonville, Florida.

Following her passion for helping others through physical therapy

Scholarships made it feasible for her to continue her education with a residency to further her education. Having scholarship support helped give her the flexibility to pursue the path she felt passionate about, rather than making a decision based on finances alone.

She accepted a neurological physical therapy residency at Brooks Rehab in Jacksonville, Florida to learn more about helping patients with traumatic brain injuries, strokes, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and amputations.

“Medical management is essential, but it’s about going back to doing things that we all love doing or just gaining independence,” she said.

For Tham-Morrobel, donor support did more than ease financial stress. It helped her continue developing the skills she needs to give patients something invaluable: the ability to return to the lives they love.