I had absolutely no idea what powerlifting even was,” says Allison Garden, VCOM-Carolinas Class of 2025. “Working out was a hobby for me, not something I’d ever considered taking to a competitive level of any type.” The 24-year-old first took up the sport in 2018, during her last semester at college, with the encouragement of Dan Austin, USC’s football strength coach.

Her newfound passion for powerlifting would have profound effects on Garden’s life in the years to come. “The small group of people that lifted at the baseball weight room every morning at 5:15 a.m. quickly became a semblance of a family to me,” she says. “To this day, we still have a group chat that we talk in every day despite being hundreds of miles away from each other.”

“Dr. Powers is a charismatic and dedicated teacher. She consistently provides us with learning tools to understand concepts and OMT techniques.” – anonymous student of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)-Carolinas Class of 2025.

Spartanburg’s medical school awarded grant to inspire and encourage high school students to develop an interest in medicine