Dr. Stephanie Husen never met Liberty Wright. But today, Stephanie’s legacy is helping shape Liberty’s journey in healthcare – and the patients she will one day serve.
For Dr. Mark Paden and his wife, Shayna, that connection is deeply personal. Mark and Stephanie grew up in Ponca City, graduating together from Ponca City High School before continuing to medical school. Along the way, they shared not only the demanding journey of becoming physicians, but also a deep commitment to caring for others – a shared purpose that continues to shape Mark and Shayna’s connection to Stephanie’s legacy.
That shared history is at the heart of why Mark and Shayna chose to establish the Dr. Stephanie Husen Scholarship at Stillwater Medical. Their why is both personal and forward-looking: to honor a deeply admired and beloved friend while helping another healthcare professional pursue her own calling to care for others.
They are not alone in that commitment. Stephanie’s parents, Greg and Joyce Husen, along with many others, have also contributed to the scholarship. Together, their generosity reflects the lasting impact Stephanie had on the people around her and a shared desire to carry forward the values she embodied.
Stephanie was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and grew up in Ponca City, graduating from Ponca City High School in 1992. She first pursued a career in physical therapy, earning a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from the University of Oklahoma in 1996. But her desire to help others led her further. She completed medical school at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2004, followed by residency training in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and a fellowship in Sports Medicine. Eventually, she took her expertise to Tulsa, where she practiced sports medicine at St. Francis Warren Orthopedic Clinic.
Stephanie’s journey into medicine reflected the determination that defined her. She believed there was never a reason not to pursue a goal. When things became difficult, her faith grew stronger. She embraced people without judgment, offered encouragement freely and believed in making the world around her better. Her personal philosophy was simple: “Make the world a better place, put a smile on your face.”
That spirit of generosity is perhaps the most enduring part of Stephanie’s legacy.
Stephanie was killed on June 1, 2022, while caring for patients at St. Francis. She was 48 years old. Her death left a tremendous void for her family, friends, colleagues and patients. But for those who knew her, her story did not end there. Her legacy continues through the people who carry forward the values she lived by – compassion, determination, service and a desire to make a difference in the lives of others.
The Dr. Stephanie Husen Scholarship at Stillwater Medical is one way that legacy continues.
For Mark and Shayna, establishing the scholarship was a way to ensure the qualities they admired in Stephanie continue to make a difference. For Greg and Joyce, and for the others who have contributed, it is another way to honor Stephanie’s life and the impact she had on so many people. Together, their generosity connects Stephanie’s memory to the future – not simply by remembering the physician she was, but by helping other healthcare professionals pursue the education and training needed to serve others.
The first recipient of the Dr. Stephanie Husen Scholarship at Stillwater Medical is Liberty Wright, a longtime member of the Stillwater Medical team who is pursuing her Master of Occupational Therapy at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Liberty has spent the past decade working in Stillwater Medical’s inpatient rehabilitation unit, caring for patients recovering from strokes, brain injuries, amputations and other complex conditions.
For Liberty, becoming an occupational therapist is about much more than earning another credential. It is about helping patients reclaim the parts of their lives that matter most.
Her passion for occupational therapy was shaped in part by her father, Puddin Payne, who battled cancer for four years. Liberty watched as he gradually lost physical abilities and independence, but she also watched him fight to remain engaged in the activities that gave his life meaning – from spending time with his family to calf roping and grilling a steak.
That experience changed the way Liberty viewed healthcare.
She learned that rehabilitation is not simply about helping someone regain strength or complete a task. It is about preserving dignity, fostering hope and helping people continue participating in the occupations that make their lives meaningful.
Today, Liberty is taking that lesson with her into graduate school. After completing her program in 2027 and passing the national registration examination, she plans to return to Stillwater Medical’s inpatient rehabilitation unit as a licensed occupational therapist. She hopes to expand her clinical expertise in neurological and vision rehabilitation, with a particular interest in helping individuals recovering from stroke, traumatic brain injury and Parkinson’s disease.
The scholarship comes at an important time in Liberty’s journey. She is balancing graduate school with a full-time career and raising two young children. She describes the support as an opportunity to focus more fully on developing the knowledge and clinical skills she needs to provide the highest quality care to future patients.
Liberty’s commitment to excellence has already made an impact at Stillwater Medical. She has served as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) on the inpatient rehabilitation unit for ten years, embraced leadership opportunities, mentored students and continued developing her clinical skills. In 2025, she was named the Oklahoma Occupational Therapy Association’s COTA of the Year.
In many ways, Liberty represents the kind of future Mark and Shayna hoped to support when they established the scholarship. Her path is her own, but the values connecting her work to Stephanie’s legacy are unmistakable: a commitment to healthcare, a desire to keep learning and a determination to help people live fuller, more independent lives.
Stephanie and Liberty never had the opportunity to meet. Yet through the generosity of others, there is now a connection between them.
Stephanie’s legacy lives on not only in the memories of the people who knew and loved her, but in opportunities created for healthcare professionals who are following their own paths of service. Through the scholarship, those who loved Stephanie are turning their personal connection to her into an investment in the future of healthcare.
For Liberty, that investment will extend far beyond the classroom. It will help equip her to return to Stillwater Medical and continue caring for patients and families throughout her career.
That is the power of a scholarship. It honors a life by helping another life move forward. It transforms generosity into opportunity. And it creates a ripple effect of caring that can reach patients, families and communities for generations.
Stephanie once believed that everyone has the ability to make the world a better place.
Through the Dr. Stephanie Husen Scholarship, those who knew and loved Stephanie are helping make that belief a reality – one future healthcare professional, one patient and one act of caring at a time.