Cecil College celebrates PTA graduates
Published on May 18, 2022
Front row (L to R) - James Reilly, Austin Rice, Mario Moreno-Juarez, Ashley Leavens, Madison Dowell, Stacie Lins, and Amanda Kretschmer. Back row (L to R) - Jessica Hafenmair, Erricka Maule, Zachary Buckland, Cortney Reid, Celeste Cowell, Candace Harris, and Brooke Reynolds.
NORTH EAST, Md. – Cecil College’s Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program celebrated the Class of 2022 with a White Coat Pinning Ceremony on Thursday, May 12, in the Milburn Stone Theatre on the North East Campus. The ceremony will honor 14 students who have completed rigorous course work and clinical training.
Highlighting the accomplishments of the Class of 2022, each member took part in Cecil College’s accreditation process this past year when the PTA program achieved the distinction of earning a ten-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation and Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
“We set the bar and standards high for our PTA students. We expect them to give 100 percent during the technical portion of the curriculum. In addition, our faculty are dedicated to their success, often spending extraordinary amounts of time with the students to ensure they understand, and can apply, not just memorize, the material,” said Director of the Physical Therapist Assistant Program Deanna Smith, PT, MPT.
Cecil College launched the program in January of 2015 with a five-year accreditation that included comments to be addressed. Typically, new programs are awarded five-year accreditations until the curriculum, and the outcomes are strong enough for the extended ten-year status.
Cecil’s PTA program rose to national prominence when 100 percent of the first five groups of graduates passed the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) on their first attempt. These results exceed the national and local averages in exam performance in all subject categories on the NPTE.
The students honored during the White Coat Pinning Ceremony include:
| Name | Hometown |
|---|---|
| Zachary Buckland | Elkton, Md |
| Celeste Cowell | Rosedale, Md |
| Madison Dowel | Darlington, Md |
| Jessica Hafenmair | Parkton, Md |
| Candace Harris | Rising Sun, Md |
| Amanda Kretschmer | Bel Air, Md |
| Ashley Leavens | Bel Air, Md |
| Stacie Lins | New Park, Pa |
| Erricka Maule | Nottingham, Pa |
| Mario Moreno-Juarez | Elkton, Md |
| Cortney Reid | Bel Air, Md |
| Brooke Reynolds | Perryville, Md |
| Austin Rice | North East, Md |
| James Reilly (Class of 2021) | North East, Md |
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the demand for PTAs will grow 32 percent through 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations, with the annual mean wage in the State of Maryland being $61,180. (Source: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapist-assistants-and-aides.htm)