Two Wayne State PT students win Mary Free Bed Minority Scholarship

Two Wayne State University Doctor of Physical Therapy students – Aya Abusalah and Mario Suarez – were honored with the Mary Free Bed Minority Scholarship for 2020-21 for their commitment to serving diverse populations.   

Established in 1891, the non-profit Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, has grown into Michigan’s most comprehensive rehabilitation provider and one of the largest in the nation. 

Aya Abusalah
Aya Abusalah

In 2002, the Mary Free Bed Guild created the Minority Scholarship Program to promote diverse staffing to better meet the rehabilitation needs of its patients. Recipients must be full-time students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher; have demonstrated leadership ability through community service, extracurricular or other volunteer activities; be permanent Michigan residents who fall into an undderrepresented group; and, in fitting with Mary Free Bed's mission, demonstrate a commitment to serving diverse populations.

Aya Abusalah

“I am very grateful for being chosen for the Mary Free Bed Minority Scholarship. Not only is it a great financial reward to help ease through graduate school, but it also helps to create opportunities for fellow minorities to diversify certain health-related fields. It truly means the world to me that this scholarship is helping me become a future Palestinian physical therapist!"

Mario Suarez
Mario Suarez

Mario Suarez

"The Mary Free Bed Scholarship will assist me in devoting my greatest potential to my future endeavors. I am privileged to receive this award and I hope to one day be able to reciprocate this financial assistance to students pursing the profession.” 

In addition to Aya and Mario, two Master of Occupational Therapy students are recipients of the 2020-21 Mary Free Bed Minorty Scholarship. Read about Clifford Lyons Jr. and Alyssa Ouellette here

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