WEST DUNDEE – It was a trying, up-and-down series of events that led 54-year-old Paul Bryant back to the classroom.

Bryant was laid off from a 17-year corporate retail position in 2003, started an online business along the same lines soon after, experienced its nearly immediate success and then watched that success grind to a screeching halt when the recession hit in 2008.

His brother, a physical therapist assistant, first suggested Bryant try a completely new career path. He said he could see Bryant's personality fitting in well in physical therapy, a more recession-proof field than retail.