Hello! I am Professor Overdorf and I am a full-time faculty member with the Saint Petersburg College Physical Therapist Assistant program. I  graduated in 1995 with a BSPT from the State University of New York at Stony Brook on Long Island and have been a licensed physical therapist for over 27 years. After graduation, I was licensed in New York State for 4 years prior to moving to Florida, where I have been licensed since 2001. I have practiced in a variety of physical therapy settings, including outpatient, acute care, skilled nursing, pulmonary rehab, and home care. In 2020, I transitioned full time to teaching and am thoroughly enjoying my new career path. 

Prior to becoming a physical therapist, I received a performing arts degree in dance from Oklahoma City University in 1989 and moved to New York City immediately after graduation. Unfortunately, the late 1980s were not an ideal time to jump into the dance scene in New York, and I struggled to find auditions for musical theater dancers. I was even too tall to be a Rockette!!  After an amazing year of living in the city, I moved to the suburbs and made the difficult decision to change careers. I went back to school, got my PT degree, and discovered a truly rewarding career that allowed me to use my extensive kinesthetic background to help people regain function and improve their quality of life. While living in New York, I met my husband, and in 2001 we moved to Florida and got married. We don't have any children, but we consider our kitties to be our furry surrogate children.

My teaching philosophy incorporates high standards combined with a positive, supportive attitude. I do my best to help each student figure out which learning style works best for them, and while I do have high expectations, I believe in being fair.  I truly believe that one's attitude can make all the difference when it comes to success of any kind, especially learning. I firmly believe that we should always be growing and challenging ourselves and that we often grow the most when we are out of comfort zones.  Along those lines, I feel that it is my responsibility as an instructor to apply the same expectations to myself that I apply to my students, incorporating constructive criticism and feedback to my approaches to teaching in order to best serve my students and assist them more effectively.  I love engaging with and challenging my students, and I believe in making learning fun whenever possible. 

I am currently pursuing my online transitional DPT degree from Utica University in New York State and plan to graduate in the summer of 2024. 

I am thrilled to be working with the amazing staff here at SPC and I am looking forward to helping guide students along their path to becoming outstanding PTAs. 

Professor Rebecca Overdorf