Christopher’s journey to POP wasn’t a straight line. He first heard about prosthetics and orthotics when he took an elective computing course while pursuing his associate degree. Although POP sounded interesting, he didn’t think it was the right path for him at the time.

After working for several years in a skilled trade, Christopher decided to go back to school to pursue his undergraduate degree in kinesiology and health promotion at the University of Wyoming. While there, he interned with a POP practitioner who inspired a passion for the field. Christopher completed his master’s degree in prosthetics and orthotics at Northwestern University and is now a resident in Chicago.

His favorite POP memory is bonding with a patient over a shared love of hip hop. When Christopher gave the patient their finished POP device, he attached a photo of the boy’s favorite hip hop artist to the device, and the boy’s face lit up. The interaction is a reminder to Christopher that the power of even the smallest gesture can make a difference in someone’s life. He looks forward to connecting with future patients in new ways, big and small.