Clemson grad connects food, function and future in PT ambitions

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From the moment Brandon Acuña visited Clemson University as a middle schooler to watch a soccer game, he was hooked.

At the time, Acuña was still new to South Carolina. His family moved to Greer, South Carolina, from Philadelphia when he was about 12 years old. But he had always been a soccer lover and the atmosphere and the campus at Clemson resonated with Acuña.

Now he’s set to graduate from Clemson this May with a bachelor’s degree in food science and human nutrition. Afterwards, he plans to attend graduate school, most likely at Elon University, to become a physical therapist.

Acuña came to Clemson thinking he wanted to be an engineer. But he quickly realized he’d be much happier as a physical therapist and that nutrition would be a good route to that end. Acuña grew up an athlete, with soccer being his sport of choice. He played in both middle and high school.

“Nutrition provided me a lot of information that I could use to stand out as a physical therapist and to benefit my life and how I can eat better,” Acuña said. “It’s very interesting knowing how the body processes the foods and vitamins you intake.”

Acuña first remembers being interested in how the body works as a senior in high school when he took a sports science class.

“We talked a lot about biomechanics,” he said. “I really enjoyed that topic, even though it was extremely difficult for me to comprehend everything because everything is so complex in the human body. That started my peak of interest.

“I really fell in love with how a physical therapist can point out what’s wrong with somebody because of a certain movement of their body and how knowledgeable they are to be able to quickly know what to do. I would like to be able to do that for others.”

It took a little while for Clemson to become home for Acuna. He began his college career feeling homesick for his parents, who are originally from Colombia, and his younger brother Lewis. They would visit him often to help him get through the loneliness. But it wasn’t until Acuña found his community on campus that he truly felt at home.

Acuña joined a student organization called Latinos Unidos at Clemson University and  eventually became a part of its executive board.

“We do a bunch of events to help people socialize and get to know each other and just find their group,” Acuña said. “I have a lot of appreciation for that club.”

He also developed a bond with Christian Barrientos, an associate director for curriculum and assessment at Clemson, whom Acuna initially met while attending a Clemson Career Workshop in high school.

“One thing that kind of helped us come together and find that unity was the common ground we have is both of our parents are from Colombia, South America,” Barrientos said. “That fellowship through a common ground allowed us to build our relationship and provide that mentorship piece between us.

“He’s always been a very driven student. I’ve worked in college access programs for over 10 years. He’s always been one of the star students that I always think of. He’s always super involved, even from his high school days. Determination, grit has always been something that he has showcased through his approach. It’s just evolved and gotten even better over the years. He’s always asking good questions, always asking for help, finding ways to get plugged in.”

As a physical therapist, Acuña said he would like to be involved with orthopedics, working with muscles, tendons and ligaments. Eventually, he would like to have his own clinic.

In the meantime, he wants to continue to be a positive role model for his brother, now a junior in high school.

“He might be going to Clemson,” Acuña said. “He wants to do engineering. He’s very smart. I think I’ve provided a great example for him to follow. That’s the type of leader I am, I try to lead by example.”