Name: Tim Fraticelli
Graduation Year: 2009
Major: Business Management
Current Position: Physical Therapist, Owner PTProgress
City and State: Lansing, MI
Tell us about your career and what you do now.
I started my career at AG Financial during my final semester of Evangel. After completing a summer internship opportunity, I was able to stay with AG Financial and enjoyed working with an amazing team for 5 years in the retirement planning division. Making the jump from finance to physical therapy isn’t the normal career path, so most people have questions about the change.
Personally, I’ve always been fascinated with the health sciences and how the body works. I found it interesting that someone could be an expert in human movement and learned that physical therapists used this expertise to improve the quality of life for so many people on a daily basis.
My wife Nicole (‘09) was about halfway through medical school, so we knew it would be a challenge with both of us in school again full time. But we’ve always supported each other and knew we could make it work. I completed the physical therapy program at Washington University in St. Louis and we moved to Lansing, MI where Nicole would begin her residency in orthopedic surgery and I would work for the same hospital as an outpatient physical therapist.
I continue to work for the hospital as a physical therapist, but now focus my attention on growing PTProgress, a career development website I started for therapists and students. There’s a knowledge gap in healthcare when it comes to career advice and financial literacy, which is why I started PTProgress. It’s been interesting to see how combining my background in finance and training in physical therapy has shaped my current career.
What is your favorite memory from Evangel?
I loved being involved in the music department and becoming friends with so many great people. My favorite memory is playing saxophone in the jazz band and looking out into the crowd to see everyone enjoying the concert. I always looked forward to the jazz band concerts and loved playing music with groups throughout the campus.
Of course, meeting my wife at Evangel tops the list. 🙂
How did Evangel help you identify/develop your calling?
The variety in my education and experiences at Evangel helped me to see how I could use my strengths across industries. Regardless of the career path you pursue, you’ll always have an opportunity to make an impact on those around you. You can do this in any industry – from Business to Healthcare – and still have a calling to serve others or whatever it is that you feel led to do.
How did your experience at Evangel prepare you for life after graduation?
I started Evangel as a Biology major interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, but was drawn to entrepreneurship. When I wasn’t in class I would be handing out flyers to detail cars or organizing work weekends with classmates who were interested in making some extra money. Through these experiences, I realized that regardless of my career, I would always have an interest in business and entrepreneurship. The professors at Evangel were so supportive of my goals and encouraged me to pursue my interests in business, science, and music. Deciding to change my major to business was one of the best academic decisions I made at Evangel and opened the door to so many more opportunities after graduation.
What advice would you give a current student preparing for the workforce?
Pursue work you enjoy. Work hard at it. Build stronger relationships with your family and friends. Never stop learning. Keep innovating even if others reject your creativity. Find people who push you to become a better person.
What would you look for if you were in a position to hire new graduates from Evangel?
I’d look for someone who is interested in taking ownership of the work to be done. Someone who always looks for ways to improve and takes initiative on projects.