Jessica Huang walked across her college graduation stage on May 16 with her physical therapists from Rusk Rehabilitation, Katie E. Knote and Cassandra Ruff, at her side, a milestone two years in the making.

Huang, who has cerebral palsy and mainly uses a wheelchair to get around the city, set a goal for herself two years ago to walk across her graduation stage. Her therapists helped her reach her goal and have helped her to become more independent and able to walk with a walker at home and in school.

“I wanted to walk across the stage at college graduation as a close-to-an-amazing journey, but I wanted to do it in the most independent way possible and surprise my parents at the same time,” said Huang, a psychology major at St. Francis College. “I’m always one that has done very well in school, but what’s on paper does not reflect what’s going on every day. And that’s why I appreciate the collaboration that we’ve done here at Rusk Rehabilitation, because without that, I believe that I wouldn’t be successful not only physically, but also in school.”

Huang’s parents were overjoyed to see her getting out of her wheelchair to walk across the stage. She had all the nervousness any graduate might have, all while mindfully ambling toward accepting her degree and a newfound, broadening independence.

To reach this goal, Jessica and her physical therapists had to engage in intensive physical therapy sessions to help Huang master all of the steps that other graduates won’t even have to think about: carefully walking across the stage under the weight of academic awards and cords, maintaining her balance while lifting a hand off of her walker to receive her diploma, and carefully reaching over to shake the dean’s hand after accepting it.

“She walked across that stage tall and proud and gorgeous,” said Knote, PT, DPT. “It was a great capstone moment to see after all of her hard work.”

Huang, who graduated summa cum laude, has been in and out of physical, occupational, and speech therapy at Rusk Rehabilitation for the past two decades, and this latest stretch may be the most meaningful yet. After graduation, Huang will pursue a master’s in public health, with a concentration in health policy and management. She aims to help young adults transitioning from pediatric to adult healthcare as she has, inspired by her experience with the many therapists, doctors, and staff at NYU Langone. Notably, she’s already become an advocate for education, healthcare, and disability initiatives.

“I was supposed to go into social work and policy, but because of the wonderful experiences at NYU Langone, I decided to pursue my master’s in public health,” she said. “I had so many wonderful experiences in the medical community, and I really appreciate the medical team helping me achieve continuity of care from childhood into adulthood.”

Jessica said that her increased independence has already been a great help to her family and has made daily activities easier, allowing her to do the things she wants to do as a young adult, and she knows the hard work will benefit her for years to come. Her team at NYU Langone will be cheering her on every step of the way.

“Our whole team is so proud of the work Jessica put in to achieve this goal,” said Ruff, PT, DPT. “Two years ago, Jessica committed to walking across the stage at graduation, and since has committed to participating in our various physical therapy programs, such as robotic treadmill training, aquatic therapy, and intensive gait training therapy.”

In addition to Ruff and Knote, the team that got her to this point included Jaclyn L. Frankel, CCC-SLP; Sonoko Morimoto, OTR/L; Jessica Hubert, PT, DPT; Carol Rosen, PhD, a senior psychologist; and Renat R. Sukhov, MD, clinical associate professor at Rusk Rehabilitation. She is also cared for by Mara Karamitopoulos, MD, chief, Division of Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone; Lindsey Stone, LMSW, Center for Children at the NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital, and Connie Lam, MS, director of the Initiative for Women with Disabilities.

The Pediatric Rusk Rehabilitation program provides a broad range of comprehensive specialty rehabilitation services, including physiatry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and neuropsychology services. Its team reaches thousands of children a year who have a wide range of conditions, from mild to medically complex.

Media Inquiries

Marlene Naanes
Phone: 646-754-5016
Marlene.Naanes@NYULangone.org