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Ashlie Francis: Setting Up for Success

January 12, 2015

When Ashlie Francis sets a goal for herself, she likes to aim high. The Belton native enrolled at Angelo State in 2011, drawn by ASU’s physical therapy doctorate program and the strong track and field team.

This fall, the exercise science major found out she has been admitted to the PT program, a key step toward her ultimate goal of becoming a physical therapist.

“Getting into the doctorate program for physical therapy was the plan from the beginning and it somehow worked out,” Francis said.



“In high school, I didn’t really like to study,” she added. “There were a lot of subjects I really wasn’t interested in. Then I took anatomy and physiology and I was intrigued by how intricate the human body is, the complexity of how everything works together. So my mother and I started looking at careers beyond college. Physical therapy seemed to be the best option.”

Her high school track coach had been a graduate assistant for James Reid, ASU head men’s and women’s track and field and cross country coach. So when Reid offered Francis a scholarship, she headed for San Angelo.

But she also was interested in ASU’s academic opportunities, especially through the Honors Program and Kinesiology Department.

“This university has a great student-professor ratio, especially in the upper level courses,” Francis said. “Almost all of my professors recognize me personally and know how I’m doing in their classes without having to think too hard about it. As long as you are willing to put in the effort, the professors will work with you to ensure your success.”

“My favorite thing about being an ASU student is having somewhere I belong. For me, my team is my second family. But there are so many different groups and affiliations on campus that there really is something here for everyone.”

Senior Ashlie Francis of Belton

Francis completed one of those academic opportunities this fall, a physical therapy internship at the West Texas Rehab Center (WTRC) and has since been able to work there part-time. Her mentor and clinical instructor at WTRC, Dr. Teresa Huckaby, sees a bright future in the field for Francis.

“We try to show how important it is to build relationships with patients, how to build good communication skills throughout the internship,” Huckaby said. “Ashlie is the best intern that we’ve had. She’s very motivated and interacts very well with the patients. She’s going to be able to transition easily to being a physical therapist.”

As a senior who is starting her last college track season, Francis has set another goal: getting to the national track and field meet. She competes in discus, shot put, javelin and hammer throw for the Rambelles, who won the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championship.

“In high school, I did discus, shot put and running,” Francis said. “I kind of found my niche in college as just a thrower and I love it.”

“Most of my memories revolve around the time I spend with my team,” she added. “My freshman year, we went to the Lone Star Conference meet in Commerce, Texas. We competed hard for two days, and at the mile relay, we won the meet by half a point over Abilene Christian University. It was my first conference championship, but the women’s team had just won their fourth team title in a row. The mood of the team was incredible to be around as everyone shouted and cried and hugged. The gratification of achieving a goal like that is hard to explain.”

The team has since earned two more LSC championships, for six in a row, and Francis has been named All-Academic by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for 2013 and 2014. This last season, she advanced to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, placing 10th in the discus.

“My favorite thing about being an ASU student is having somewhere I belong,” she said. “For me, my team is my second family. But there are so many different groups and affiliations on campus that there really is something here for everyone.”