Shira originally wanted to be an engineer but couldn’t see herself sitting at a desk all day. She learned about POP during high school and was excited to apply what she loved about engineering with her interest in working one-on-one with people. Shira earned her undergraduate degree in health sciences, with an eye towards a career in POP.

She volunteered at a POP clinic after graduation and then became a certified and licensed prosthetic assistant. As an assistant, she helps clinicians provide comprehensive patient care and works with the fabrication team to create prostheses for her patients. Shira knows how important assistants can be to patient care and what an asset they can be to a POP practice. She wants to help others find the right role for them in POP.

With support from mentors at her clinic, Shira was recently accepted into the University of Pittsburgh’s prosthetics and orthotics master’s program. She looks forward to continuing her POP education and building relationships with her future patients.

When Shira is not in the clinic, she loves participating in the performing arts, including working with charities that help people with disabilities participate in theater programming. She looks forward to continuing this passion for helping others both in and out of the clinic.