Langston University

(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar Digital Magazine | Vol. 3 Issue 1 and featured in the January 2026 edition of Lion Talk.)

Dry air fills Gloire Houmba Mayindou’s lungs as he runs, his worn shoes beating the concrete surface of the park’s basketball court.

The “Diablo Rouge,” Mayindou’s club team, practice on the outdoor court nearly every day in The Republic of the Congo, his home country. Dribble, stop, shoot, rebound, pass… the 5-on-5 drills of the day were as normal and intense as any other day.

The 11-year-old watches as a shot soars overhead, the ball bouncing wildly between the backboard and rim. Realizing the ball isn’t going in the basket, Mayindou jumps to secure the rebound. He suddenly feels hands, followed by a shoulder, hit him in the back as his feet leave the ground, causing them to swing out from under him. He lands shoulder first on the unforgiving concrete. A teammate falls on top of him.

The impact dislocates his right shoulder.

“I couldn’t shower, couldn’t dress myself, couldn’t eat, couldn’t move,” Mayindou said. “So, dealing with that pain and then knowing that you cannot go to the hospital to get help, man, it’s mentally challenging.”

Access to healthcare, much less physical therapy, is limited in the Republic of the Congo. Even if you can get to a hospital or other healthcare provider, services are so expensive that most people don’t even consider it an option when they are hurt.

This experience, along with his observations of how many people are living with chronic pain without the assistance they need, drove Mayindou to come to the United States and eventually Langston University to earn his doctorate in physical therapy.

Now Mayindou, a first-year physical therapy student, can not only learn his trade in a program that boasts a 92% National Physical Therapy Exam pass rate and a 100% job placement rate, but he can soon get hands-on experience much more quickly than the average physical therapy student when Langston University completes construction on a physical therapy clinic being built right on the Langston Campus.

Construction has already begun on this Physical Therapy Clinic, which is being funded through Title III grants.

Dr. Elicia Pollard, Dean of the School of Physical Therapy, said this clinic will not only have an impact on students at LU, but on the community as well.

“There’s no physical therapy clinic here (in Langston),” Dr. Pollard said. “If locals want services, they’ll either drive or do without. So, we are going to fill that need there. We are going to be offering this clinic to people who are uninsured or under insured or low-income families. We are going to eliminate potential barriers such as transportation and cost.”

The closest clinics to the town of Langston are in Guthrie, which forces those who seek assistance to drive upward of 20 minutes for care.

The clinic is not designed like a typical medical facility with a labyrinth of halls and little rooms. The Langston University Physical Therapy Clinic will have an open concept with only a few rooms with doors for private needs. This allows for the area to be reconfigured for different patient populations and research needs.

Dr. Anthony Sylvester, Director of Clinical Services at Langston University, has been instrumental in the development and design of this clinic since its inception. As a two-time Langston University graduate with experience running small, rural health clinics in addition to 25 years of experience as a clinical instructor, he understands the importance of ensuring the space is being used to its fullest potential to optimize client and student outcomes.

Because of his experiences, Dr. Sylvester understands how unique this clinic is to Langston University.

“This isn’t typical of other physical therapy schools,” Dr. Sylvester said. “I think we’re going to be pretty unique in reference to what most schools, a lot of PT schools, will have. We’ll have that daily experience here. Students will see a patient they’ve worked with progress through their care.”

The Physical Therapy Clinic will also offer opportunities for students to participate in research, different forms of patient care, community events and much more.

This level of experience is why students like Mayindou come to Langston University to study physical therapy.

“The first time I learned that they were building a clinic, everyone, at least all my classmates, we are all so excited,” Mayindou said. “That’s kind of a dream come true. In our field, there’s nothing better than experience. To work with a patient one-on-one is a different thing.

“I call it a blessing.”