On May 17, Jessica Madalyn Bass, of Rice, received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy Degree from the University of Lynchburg.

During the course of the vigorous three year program, she participated in a number of local and global educational opportunities. For all three years, she was a member of the University of Lynchburg Community Health Center, where pro-bono physical therapy services were provided to uninsured and under-insured members of the community. During the spring semester of her second year, she traveled to St. Lucia with professors and classmates. There, they provided physical therapy services and built adaptive equipment for children of special needs schools. At the completion of her second year, she participated in a two-week study abroad program to Italy. While there, she appreciated the influence of Renaissance Art and its impact on anatomical dissection as well as on the physical therapy field at large.

In July, she successfully passed the National Physical Therapy Exam allowing her to practice as a licensed physical therapist. She has accepted a position in Lexington, North Carolina, and is excited to begin her career as a physical therapist.

Bass is a 2016 graduate of Radford University and a 2012 graduate of Prince Edward County High School. She is the daughter of Joe and Sally Bass of Rice. She is the granddaughter of the late William Merritt and Dorothy Ussery Bass of Rice and Barbara Collmann McClellan and the late Dr. Warren Xavier Collmann of Farmville.