SCC PTA Program Student Success

Somerset Community College's (SCC) Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program is celebrating a historic year marked by national student awards, exceptional licensure outcomes, and continued recognition as one of the premier PTA programs in the country.

The program recently earned recognition as the top Physical Therapist Assistant program in the nation for the 2026 Marquette Challenge, marking the 17th time in the past 18 years SCC has finished as the nation's leading PTA contributor. The annual challenge raises funds to support the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research and reflects a program's commitment to service, leadership, and advancing the profession.

Adding to the program's accomplishments, recent graduate, Cole Eldridge, earned a perfect score of 800 on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE). Eldridge becomes the fifth SCC PTA graduate in program history to achieve a perfect score, a rare accomplishment that underscores the program's longstanding tradition of academic excellence.

The Class of 2026 also achieved a 100% first-attempt pass rate on the NPTE, continuing a pattern of outstanding licensure performance and placing SCC among the nation's highest-performing PTA programs.

Beyond licensure success, SCC students earned an unprecedented number of national, state, and local honors through the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and other organizations.

Among the national award recipients was Rachel Burba, who received the APTA Mary McMillan Scholarship Award, one of the association's most prestigious student honors. The award recognizes outstanding physical therapist assistant students nearing graduation who have demonstrated superior academic achievement, leadership, service, and potential for future contributions to the profession.

Parashar Joshi received the APTA Orthopedics Outstanding PTA Student Award, recognizing academic excellence, leadership, professional involvement, and demonstrated potential for future contributions to orthopedic physical therapy.

Brooke Hadley was selected as an APTA Access and Opportunity Scholarship Fund Award recipient. This national scholarship recognizes PTA students for academic excellence, professional character, leadership, and commitment to community engagement and service.

Kaegan Robertson earned the APTA Outstanding PTA Student Award, a national recognition presented to a student physical therapist assistant who demonstrates exceptional accomplishments, leadership, service, scholastic achievement, and contributions to the profession and the American Physical Therapy Association.

In addition to these national honors, SCC PTA students received significant recognition at the state and local levels. Rachel Burba and Kaegan Robertson were named to the APTA Kentucky All-Academic Team, recognizing outstanding academic achievement and service to the profession. Rachel Burba was also selected as the 2026 SCC KCTCS Workforce Scholar, while Billy Roberts was named the Somerset Community College Health Sciences Division Student of the Year.

"This has truly been one of the most remarkable classes in our program's history," said SCC Dean of Health Sciences Dr. Corey Moore, PT, DPT. "We often talk about striving for intelligence plus character, and this class exemplified that ideal. They paired academic excellence with compassion, integrity, professionalism, and a commitment to serving others. Their achievements are a testament not only to their hard work, but also to the faculty, clinical partners, alumni, families, and classmates who supported them along the way. We are proud of all they have accomplished and even more proud of the professionals they have become."

While awards and outcomes are important, the program's greatest success is reflected in its graduates: professionals known for their intelligence, character, and commitment to exceptional patient care. Their work improves lives every day and creates lasting positive change in communities throughout the region.

As demand for physical therapist assistants continues to grow across Kentucky and the United States, SCC remains committed to preparing graduates who excel academically, serve their communities, and positively impact the patients they will serve throughout their careers.
If you want to learn more about the SCC PTA program visit https://somersetcc.info/PTA.