Leslie Herrera has vivid memories of accompanying her parents to doctor’s appointments when she was a young child. She would help translate complex medical terms and documents into Spanish.
Her dual-immersion classes in elementary school helped her to refine her reading, writing and speaking skills in English and Spanish simultaneously, giving her a strong sense of cultural identity while also serendipitously preparing her for her future career.
Herrera will graduate with her Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16, during the College of Health and Human Services commencement at Fresno State. Afterwards, she is committed to helping the Spanish-speaking community in Fresno as a practicing physical therapist.
According to data from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information, the demand for physical therapists is expected to grow by 19% from 2020 to 2030, creating a need for an estimated 4,700 additional physical therapists across California.
Despite this growing demand, only about 7% of physical therapists in the U.S. identify as Hispanic or Latino, highlighting the increased need for Spanish-speaking physical therapists, particularly in California.
While working as a physical therapy aide, Herrera witnessed these disparities firsthand.
“It was a very unique experience for me due to the fact that I spoke Spanish,” Herrera said. “Our community does not have many Spanish-speaking health providers, so as a physical therapy aide, I was able to bridge that gap and get patients to express their feelings. They felt like they had someone on their side they could trust and that’s the part that I really liked.”
Herrera, a first-generation college student, was inspired by her parents who immigrated from Mexico and later attended adult classes in Hanford to learn English. They instilled in her the importance of lifelong learning and education.
Before transferring to Fresno State in 2020, Herrera attended College of the Sequoias in Visalia, where she was awarded a presidential scholarship. After obtaining her associate’s degree in kinesiology, she continued with the kinesiology pathway at Fresno State, later earning her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, with an emphasis in exercise science.
It was during her undergraduate years she discovered the physical therapy profession.
“I’ve always had the mentality of wanting to help people, and through my kinesiology courses, I learned that helping someone improve physically can do wonders for them both emotionally and psychologically,” Herrera said.
During her final clinical rotation in the doctoral program, Herrera was placed at San Joaquin Valley Rehabilitation, where she had the opportunity to work even closer with the Hispanic community.
“This clinic was my favorite,” Herrera said. “My entire caseload were patients who had strokes or very traumatic neurological injuries. A lot of them have never had a Spanish-speaking provider, and many of them expressed relief that I was there to communicate with them in ways they understood.”
Dr. Cheryl Hickey, chair and professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Fresno State, said communication is key when it comes to healthcare access.
“Research shows that patients are more likely to access care when providers can relate to them culturally and communicate in their primary language – in this case, Spanish,” Hickey said. “As the population ages, the need for physical therapists continues to grow, and Leslie will be an invaluable addition to the Valley’s workforce. She embodies the tenacity we hope to see in our students as they work tirelessly to serve those in our Valley who are most in need. She truly has a healing heart, and I cannot wait to see all the great things she will do.”
As Herrera reflects on her higher education journey, she credits Fresno State’s academic advisers and professors for providing her with a supportive environment as she navigated being a first-generation college student with feelings of self-doubt. Through it all, she remained grounded in her purpose.
“Throughout my academic journey, I kept one goal in mind: honoring my parents’ sacrifices,” Herrera said. “They instilled in me the values of resilience, perseverance and hard work in the face of adversity. Because of that, I’ve remained driven to break barriers – for myself, my family and my community.”
The Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Fresno State is one of three doctoral programs offered at Fresno State, which earned an R2 designation for “Doctoral University-High Research Activity” by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, highlighting a significant commitment to growing research activities at the university.
