The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) selected Rosa Bell as a recipient among its annual honors and awards program. Rosa is a two-time CUW alumna who earned her bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation science in 2022 and her Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2024.
Rosa received the 2024 Minority Scholarship. The $5,000 award recognizes individual’s professional character and academic excellence. It is given to PT students who are in their final year of an accredited program.
Rosa is only the second Concordia student to ever receive the award. The honor is significant, as the selection committee pulls from a pool of candidates nationwide. The APTA is the premier organization for the PT profession. It represents more than 100,000 member physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students of physical therapy.
A Greenfield resident, Rosa currently works at Aurora as a float physical therapist in outpatient care for the Greater Milwaukee Area. She considers it an honor to provide a global aspect of care to a wide range of clients.
“Physical therapy is about rehabilitation and preventative care, ultimately,” she explains. “We don’t want to have to see you again. We want to be able to treat your current condition and teach you to be able to self-manage your pain so that ultimately, your health care can be back in your own hands.”
Concordia’s faith focus was an important part of why Rosa decided on CUW over other colleges.
“Having the same values as the people who are teaching me and guiding me through my education was very important to me,” Rosa says. “All of the professors in the PT program dedicate so much time and hard work to each of the students in the program. Their desire is to help us become the best clinicians we can possibly be. There’s nothing more I could have asked for from my Concordia professors.”
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