Profiles of Roothbert: Clarence Lee
“I’m from Champaign, IL,” began Clarence Lee ‘20. “Both of my parents ended up getting their PhDs at the University of Illinois. My dad leads the Department of Cultural Theory and Criticism at Yonsei University and also teaches Russian Literature. My mom is retired now, but she taught East Asian Culture and Literature. My brother studied English Literature. Lots of books in the family.”
Clarence, however, opted for a different path, both in the geographical and academic sense. “I’m a graduate student in Physical Therapy right now, but I took a pretty circuitous route to get here.” Upon graduating from Brandeis University, Clarence accepted a position as a Paralegal Specialist with the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. Clarence envisioned a career in law as service on a grander scale; however, the disconnect between Clarence’s work and the people he hoped to engage led to the consideration of other options. “I could be working against the next big monopoly, but the experience lacked the human connection I coveted.”
Clarence transitioned into a startup geared towards supporting non-profit organizations and health organizations, such as home and community-based service providers. Yet again, Clarence felt the same disconnect between his work and the people he hoped to serve. “I was helping the helpers versus getting involved directly,” commented Clarence.
The decision to start a completely new career path in physical therapy required a great amount of introspection and support. “My friends and family encouraged me to live by my ideals and values to avoid feeling dissonance in my life.”
At Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, Clarence is able to connect with patients in a context of healing and strengthening. “I chose my program because of the clinical experiences early on. I started working with patients this fall and it was humbling and such a great experience for me. Everyday I go into the clinic and there’s a new question I reflect on and think about.”
From building patient rapport to witnessing patient progress first-hand after extended periods of mobilization, physical therapy offers Clarence the interpersonal contact and gratification he’s been searching for. Within the program, Clarence expressed a common set of core values. “Everyone has a baseline of wanting to be optimistic and motivating others to be better. That’s been very healthy. Everyone wants the knowledge and skills to practice and truly help the patients.”
Throughout the process, Clarence credits his commitment to service and his conviction in leading a life of greater fulfillment to the support of his family. “My parents just wanted us to feel accomplished not through money or fame or status, but from being proud of the work we did everyday. Our accomplishment should come from helping the world somehow. Our sense of accomplishment comes from having served. I want meaningful connections in my work.”
Clarence’s own experiences as a physical therapy patient motivated his decision to make the career change. “Thinking about how I felt with the frustration of different injuries and realizing that this injury was no longer debilitating gave me such a sense of accomplishment. The fact that I can help someone else feel the same way, to be a source of positive energy for them, honors the life I’ve been given as well as the ones around me.”
Whether competing with himself as a runner, incorporating physical therapy into his volunteerism at a local elementary school, or leading his college ultimate frisbee team to Nationals, Clarence hopes to establish and strengthen a sense of community and service. “I’m grateful for the Roothbert Fund because due to their generosity, I can finance my education and explore different areas. It means a lot to have that kind of support.”