Marrero Rodriguez being presented with the Student Leadership Award by APTA PA President Scott Voshell.
At the American Physical Therapy Association Pennsylvania chapter (APTA PA) conference in October, Carolina Marrero Rodriguez (DPT ’23) received the Student Leadership Award for her numerous contributions to both the local chapter and the national American Physical Therapy Association. Since starting the Pitt Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, Marrero Rodriguez has served not only on groups and committees within APTA, but also at Pitt Physical Therapy and in the Pittsburgh community. Her tremendous drive to help others by serving in leadership roles has given her invaluable experience and made impactful contributions to colleagues and patients alike. Below, Marrero Rodriguez shares the breadth of her activities and what she has gained from participating with the APTA.
Why were you presented with the APTA PA award?
The APTA Pennsylvania Student Leadership Award is given to students that are reviewed on the following criteria: APTA involvement, leadership and community involvement. I submitted an application that included my resume, a letter of recommendation from Dr. Bonnie Virag (my supervisor at the Birmingham Free Clinic) and an essay on how I plan to continue my involvement in the APTA over the next five years. I applied for this award believing that I had enough experience in each of these criteria.
From my first year in the DPT program, I have been involved at both the state and national levels. During Physical Therapy Month in October, Dr. Allyn Bove shared what she was passionate about with the profession and it specifically sparked my interest in the APTA. I have served as APTA PA representative for my DPT class, student observer to the APTA PA House of Delegates, director on the APTA Student Board of Directors, chair to the APTA Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy Student Engagement Community, APTA PT Moves Me Ambassador, and social media liaison to the APTA PA Acute Care Special Interest Group. My desire to be “more than just a PT” and make a difference in areas outside of the clinic inspired me to become involved in the APTA, which was fueled even more by professors like Dr. Bove and Dr. Virag. It is amazing how one thing can lead to another, and doors are opened that lead to more opportunities.
APTA Student Council at APTA Leadership Congress 2023 in Washington D.C.
Leadership roles that I have held include the previously mentioned positions, as well as several at Pitt: founder of the Spanish for Physical Therapists group, physical therapy student director at the Birmingham Free Clinic, physical therapy mentor for the undergraduate Women in Healthcare student organization, and president and founder of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Physical Therapy student organization. My favorite thing about my leadership roles and involvement is the opportunity to use them as ways to collaborate with others. Being a leader doesn’t mean making the decisions as the person in charge, but having the initiative to ensure that a group works well together while valuing everyone’s goals and how they can be achieved together.
My community involvement has been mostly centered around my roles at the Birmingham Free Clinic and the APTA PT Moves Me campaign. I am very passionate about working with underserved communities, which I am able to achieve through both of these opportunities. At the Birmingham Free Clinic, I am able to treat underinsured and uninsured patients who would not receive care otherwise. I have the opportunity to treat patients with an emphasis on education, which is facilitated by the clinic as a whole due to its interdisciplinary nature. Through the APTA PT Moves Me campaign, I am able to reach students of all ages and share the profession of physical therapy in order to increase interest in the field and make it a more diverse health care profession.
What was your leadership role with the APTA and what did you gain from it?
This year, I had the absolute pleasure of serving as a director on the APTA Student Board of Directors for our national organization. Along with my nine fellow board members, we worked to increase student engagement in the APTA through a variety of avenues. Each member chose a “specialty area” to target in terms of increasing engagement. I chose social media. I believe that social media has the power to reach people everywhere and is a great way to share information and opportunities for students. I have experienced the benefits of being an APTA member, and I wanted other students to see that, too! In addition to working on APTA student social media pages, I have been involved in APTA socials, as well as planning for various events for the new APTA Student Council structure.
2023 APTA Student Board of Directors at APTA Combined Sections Meeting in San Diego, California, 2023
Serving as a director has allowed me to understand the structure of the APTA and its inner workings. It has given me a very unique insight that I plan to take with me into my career to help change the profession for the better as time goes on. This position has allowed me to develop my leadership skills, especially in terms of teamwork and communication. It has opened doors for me in places I never even knew existed, and I am very excited to see where this journey will continue to take me.
(left to right) Julia Black, PT, DPT (APTA Student Board of Directors President); Carolina Marrero Rodriguez, DPT (APTA Student Board of Directors Director); Brooke Pantano, PT, DPT (APTA Student Board of Directors Director and Pitt DPT graduate); Roger Herr, PT, MPA (APTA Board of Directors President); Franki Kaspar, PT, DPT (2023 APTA Association Leadership Scholar)
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