Student Special Interest Group
Monthly Newsletter
Hello to our wonderful SSIG community, 

Thank you to those who responded in the previous newsletter! Below are a few responses that we received to the question of:

“Rising 2nd/3rd years, what are you looking forward to most about the upcoming 2021-2022 academic year?”
 
“Actually getting to practice during our first clinical rotation. I’ll miss having a summer, but can’t wait to pretend to be a PT” - Luke H, VCU
 
“I am excited for more hands-on learning with clinical rotations in inpatient rehab and outpatient ortho this coming year! I’ve benefited so much from working with a diverse group of patients this summer in an outpatient neuro center, and I’m excited to apply and adapt what I’ve learned to other settings” - Erin H, VCU
 
“I am looking forward to working with and forming more connections with my classmates now that we are all vaccinated and will be spending more time in the classroom! I’m also really excited to be in orthopedics this fall because that is the field of physical therapy that I am most interested in!” -Cassidy C, Marymount

T-Shirt Design Contest

The t-shirt design contest is now open and we want to see your creative designs!

The theme this year is PT Forward. The winner receives a free product with their design and a feature in the Virginian and APTA VA SSIG newsletter. The deadline for entry is July 25, 2021 by 11:59 PM. Please use this form to submit your entry!
 
Voting to choose the final design opens July 28th, 2021 - August 1st, 2021. Orders will be available starting August 2nd, 2021. Funds raised will be put towards the registration costs for the November 2021 Fall Summit for a select number of APTA VA students.
More info to come!


DEI Grand Rounds

Please be on the lookout in the August edition for more information regarding the DEI Grand Rounds virtual event that is anticipated to take place between Aug 30-Sept 10, 2021! 
 
The purpose of this event is to highlight issues that people of color face as patients and healthcare professionals (with a primary focus on PTs/DPTs). The event will feature a series of case studies to drive discussions that focus on the history of discrimination, the importance of self-education, and how to be an ally as a clinician.

Student Fall Summit:
Interview with Adaptive Athletes

The Student SIG will host this session of the Fall Summit on Saturday, November 6, 2021 from 4:00-6:00 PM. The discussion will focus on interviews with adaptive athletes. Each month we will highlight a different athlete that will be attending. This month we are featuring Anna Johannes

Anna Johannes was born without her left hand and forearm. At a young age, Anna started to fight for disability rights and social justice. Whether it was coaching low-income families, Wounded Warriors or the future generation of Paralympic athletes, Anna has dedicated herself to helping others. After a professional career of swimming and participating in the Paralympic Games – coming away with a Bronze medal – she took her skills from the pool to the realm of business to continue that same fight.
 
Currently, she is a Senior Account Executive on the Marketing team at Porter Novelli. In this role, she works on marketing through leadership and research. She also serves as a leader for the Disability Inclusion Task Force, is the DE&I champion for the Boston office and is part of Porter Novelli’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Advisory Services Counsel.
 
Prior to Porter Novelli, Anna worked for Speedo as a sales and marketing rep, where she helped guide them to sign their first Paralympic athlete, while also consulting with sister brand, Tommy Hilfiger, on their Adaptive clothing line. Most recently she worked as a Cause Marketing Coordinator at Boston Children’s Hospital where she fought to make sure every patient’s story was told.
 
She serves on the Board of Adaptive Sports New England, a nonprofit that helps youth get involved in athletics. Lastly, she also serves on the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USPOC) Social Racial Justice Task Force.

We are so excited to see Anna Johannes at our Fall Summit and we hope you join us in giving her a warm welcome!
Want More? Follow Us on Social Media!

We want to increase education and awareness of membership benefits, enhance connections between students across programs, and connect students with physical-therapy related content through social media.


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Facebook: VPTA Student SIG
Twitter: @VPTAStudentSIG
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If you have any questions, please contact the SSIG.