News
Generous Donation from Spear Physical Therapy Creates New Scholarship Program for 12 Touro Students
Touro School of Health Sciences Alum Dan Rootenberg Donates $360,000 to His Alma Mater to Help the Next Generation of Physical Therapists Succeed
The need for qualified physical therapists (PT) continues to increase in the U.S., but for those interested in pursuing a PT career, a doctoral degree is required. The financial burden of this necessary training is often an obstacle for many, preventing them from achieving their professional goals.
Determined to ease the financial impact PT students face, Dan Rootenberg, a Touro School of Health Science (SHS) alum and co-founder of the hugely successful Spear Physical Therapy, launched The Spear Scholarship. Over three years, Spear will be donating $360,000 to SHS, where the money will enable 12 students to become physical therapists. Program participants will also complete one clinical rotation at Spear, gaining vital hands-on experience, and will be offered a two-year employment opportunity after graduation.
Scholarship Recipients Celebrate Their Achievements
To celebrate this exciting new scholarship and our recipients, Touro SHS recently held a reception at our 3 Times Square location. “This scholarship will help propel the next generation of PTs toward success. I chose to partner with Touro on this important initiative because they took a chance on me when I had no safety net after college. It’s personally meaningful for me to help these students and to continue advocating for our patients and our profession,” said Rootenberg.
PT student Dana Cebulski has been an athlete all her life and has frequented many physical therapy offices for injuries she’s sustained due to sports over the years. Now, she wants to help others as past PTs have done for her. “This scholarship gives me the opportunity to begin my career at a company that values culture, diversity, leadership and high-quality patient care. At Spear, I know that I will be challenged as a healthcare professional and be able to grow as a leader, an educator, and a healer,” said Cebulski.
“The Spear Scholarship will help support the next generation of PTs by significantly reducing the cost of their education and allowing them to jumpstart their careers at one of the best physical therapy practices in the nation. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with Spear that is mutually beneficial for their practice and our students for years to come,” said Steven Lorenzet, Dean of the School of Health Sciences.
PT student Joseph Galante is passionate about becoming a PT and looks forward to building trustworthy relationships with his patients. Galante currently works at Professional Physical Therapy as a PT Aide. “Receiving this scholarship from Spear means everything to me. I can’t overstate how grateful and excited I am for this opportunity. I’m truly honored to be the recipient of such a generous scholarship, and to join the culture that Spear has built and will continue to build in the future,” said Galante.
