Elon alumna Deanna DeMarco, G'23 has been awarded the prestigious Mary McMillan Scholarship Award from the American Physical Therapy Association.
The American Physical Therapy Association’s prestigious Mary McMillan Scholarship Award has been presented to Deanna DeMarco, G’23, a graduate of Elon’s doctorate in physical therapy program.
This national award honors students in their last year of an accredited program for their superior scholastic ability and their potential for future contributions to both the physical therapy profession and the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). DeMarco, who graduated from Elon’s DPT program in December 2023, was nominated for the award while in her third year as a DPT student.
DeMarco demonstrated academic excellence and outstanding leadership throughout her time at Elon. She was the Class of 2023’s delegate to the APTA-NC Student Special Interest Group and represented APTA-NC at the Health Occupations Students of America state leadership conference, promoting health education for students in middle school, high school and college. As chair of the North Carolina Student Conclave Project Committee, DeMarco led a team of eight students from programs across the state in planning and executing a highly successful conference for PT and PTA students. She represented the DPT program on National Biomechanics Day, providing virtual and in-person workshops locally with the Alamance-Burlington School System, students in California and Massachusetts and even students at two universities in India.
As a Student Mentee in the APTA-NC Delegation Mentorship Program, DeMarco volunteered at the 2021 APTA-NC annual conference and at the national 2023 APTA Combined Sections Meeting. During the APTA’s 2023 Leadership Congress and United States House of Delegates meeting in Washington, DC, she served as a student usher and assistant to the Reference Committee. An APTA member since 2020, DeMarco belongs to the Neurology, Orthopedic, and Research sections.
DeMarco served as Treasurer for H.O.P.E., Elon’s student-managed pro bono physical therapy clinic, where she logged over 150 volunteer hours. She is also co-author on a peer-reviewed journal article and on nine peer-reviewed presentations, all stemming from her research conducted during her DPT education.
Within the larger Elon community, DeMarco participated in Elon’s Start Early in Medicine career fair and took part in Elon University’s Family Weekend, providing interactive educational sessions to undergraduate students and their visiting families on the anatomy and physiology of the human heart. In addition, DeMarco is a collaborator on Assistant Professor Crystal Ramsey’s 2023 $10,000 grant from the United Way of Alamance County to improve physical therapy services to the county’s underserved populations.
Prior to her graduation in December, DeMarco was recognized with numerous honors. In addition to being named the Elon DPT Class of 2023 Outstanding Student and being inducted into the ACAPT National Student Honor Society, DeMarco received two prestigious statewide awards in 2023: APTA-NC’s Outstanding Student Award and the Ben F. Massey, Jr. Student Scholarship.
The Department of Physical Therapy Education is privileged to have such a remarkable graduate recognized with this outstanding national award.