Rhonda is an Occupational Therapist (OTR/L) who has been practicing at our Winona location since January 2022. Rhonda earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences, with a concentration in Biological Sciences and a minor in Psychology from the University of South Florida in May 2017. She then moved to Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota in Rochester to receive her Master’s degree in October 2021. As an Occupational Therapist at Partners, Rhonda works on developing and improving our clients’ gross motor skills, fine motor skills, self-help skills, and self-regulation skills to increase their ability to participate in functional daily tasks both in the home, at school, and in the community. You will often see Rhonda in the rehab room at Partners treating clients and having fun! Rhonda also collaborates with families to discuss goals and ideas to increase the client’s success across all environments. Being around children most of her life, Rhonda started working at Partners because she loves learning about neurodiversity and how therapeutic play can improve developmental skills. Working at Partners has allowed Rhonda to figure out another piece of the puzzle in how to best help clients be successful in daily activities, whether it be getting dressed in the morning, writing their name, eating with their family, or playing with their friends! In Rhonda’s words—it is amazing to watch a client go from not having a skill at all, to making progress (whether it be over a long period or in a short time once it “clicks” for them) and then finally mastering it! Once they reach that milestone it’s a big achievement and makes you want to cheer for them (and we do)! Rhonda loves how the rehab staff and ABA staff are working towards the same goal through a multidisciplinary approach.

When not at Partners, Rhonda enjoys reading, trying new restaurants, and watching foreign movies/films. Fun fact about Rhonda: she volunteered at the Minnesota Orchestra for their sensory-friendly concerts and she also has volunteered with horses doing hippotherapy!