During Covid procedures 2020-2021, first-year PSMA PTA students were restricted to a singular partner for all laboratory guarding and exercise cuing. Consequently, students missed practicing on a variety of body types, genders, and personalities in their introductory coursework. In Fall 2021, an Engagement Grant was utilized to compensate one of our program's successful new graduates to be a Rehabilitation course lab assistant, while establishing a mentoring peer-relationship and encouragement before first clinical affiliations after Thanksgiving.