Anthony Manfre is a second-year doctoral student in marriage and family therapy. His interests include reading, fishing, hiking, camping, kayaking, canoeing and cooking. His favorite television shows are “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Rules of Engagement,” and he loves seafood and Thai food. He describes himself as “100 percent Italian” and his favorite film is “Forest Gump.”
Those who have heard my story say it is inspiring and that I should share it more often. Because I am an introvert who feels uncomfortable in the spotlight, I hope that telling this story will not only inspire others, but also be helpful for me.
Ten years ago, I could not have imagined I would be here. I dropped out of high school in the 9th grade and a few years later earned a general education diploma (GED). I intended to enlist in the Army and eventually retire from it. However, my plans for an Army career came to an abrupt halt when I was honorably discharged after a parachuting accident in September 2001. I had served three-and-a-half years in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.
With my plans suddenly de-railed, I returned home to Rochester, N.Y. My mother and stepfather were both schoolteachers and encouraged me to further my education and enroll in class at the local community college. Having dropped out of ninth grade, I did not feel confident in my academic abilities. I was especially weak in reading comprehension. My mother found a book she thought would interest me and help develop my reading skills. The book was “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson. It was the story of his adventure of hiking the Appalachian trail. Each week, she would ask me questions about the book. I eventually enrolled in a humanities and social science program at the local community college and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at Oswego State University where I studied psychology.
Unfortunately, midway through the program, I began to lose my vision, the result of Stargardt macular degeneration that would render me legally blind over the next few years. Although I did finish the degree, my pursuits were once again compromised by my deteriorating vision.
Adrift for the second time, I decided to hike the Appalachian trail from Georgia to Maine. During the 2,160-mile trail, I experienced six-and-a-half months of solitude, which enabled me to come to terms with my condition and decide how I wanted to spend my life. I also learned a lot about my interdependence. The resounding theme in my life, I realized, was family. From my childhood in a single-parent household where I grew hyper aware of differences between families to my work in the army where I helped military families and considered my comrades part of my family. The times I was happiest in my personal and professional life were when I was negotiating family dynamics.
Thus, I enrolled and completed my master’s in family therapy at Appalachian State University. Cap-tivated by the theories introduced there, I began my doctoral program in marriage and family therapy at NSU, so I could perform research, and qualify for a position as a supervisor or a professor. My research interests parallel my life experiences and interest in military families and disabilities. I plan to prepare my dissertation around military families and marriage and family therapy and hope to work with military soldiers and families and teach and supervise the practices and theories of a field that has truly inspired me.
