Madison Walker

HOMETOWN: North Canton, Ohio
CAMPUS: Columbus
MAJOR: BS in Exercise Science, minor in anatomy
YEAR: Class of 2026

Madison's scholarships meant she would be able to afford not just her undergraduate education but remaining debt-free while securing additional education and training for her physical therapy career.

When Madison’s dad passed away from cancer her freshman year, she was unsure whether she could continue her education. Scholarships allowed her to not only stay in school but get involved. She worked as a restful nights volunteer at The James Cancer Hospital, a physical therapy aide at the Student Health Center and a personal training intern at the Faculty Staff Fitness Program. She also served as president of the Exercise Science Club and enjoyed playing pickleball in her spare time — even taking two pickleball courses through Ohio State! Madison’s favorite memories here at Ohio State include her pre-health sorority Delta Omega Kappa, which helped especially when it came to finding and spending time with new friends on campus her freshman year. She liked that the women had similar interests, great advice on classes, and that there were always activities they could do together.

Madison enjoys her minor in anatomy and likes how hands-on the classes were; she is excited to see how she can apply those skills later. She graduated in spring 2026 and will further her PT education closer to home at Mount Union starting this fall. It will be a three-year program to obtain a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, and she is looking forward to learning hands-on clinical skills that she can use once she is practicing. She is thinking about potentially working in a hospital setting afterwards but is open to seeing what is out there.