After a season of unimaginable personal loss, Raylen Wells DPT ’25 has managed to put one foot in front of the other, completing her DPT degree at USC and preparing herself for a deep, meaningful career in service to others.  

BY YASMINE GRIMBLE MCG ’16

WHEN RAYLEN WELLS FIRST SET FOOT on the USC Health Sciences campus, she couldn’t have predicted how much she would transform — academically, personally and spiritually — during the next three years.

Wells, who grew up in Kansas City, Mo., always had a natural instinct for caring and connecting.

“I was the kid with little side businesses — babysitting, car washes or painting nails,” she recalls. “Even then, I was drawn to helping others and creating something of my own.”

That spirit stayed with her through her undergraduate studies in psychology and child advocacy at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, and eventually steered her toward a career in physical therapy.

A Lasting Impression

Wells’ first introduction to physical therapy came during high school, when her mother encouraged her to volunteer at Children’s Mercy Hospital and a nearby therapeutic daycare center.

“Each summer, when I went back to volunteer, I would see the same kids walking or doing things they couldn’t do the year before,” she says. “That kind of progress really stuck with me.”

When Wells moved to Los Angeles with her husband in 2021, she began working as a physical therapy aide — an experience that reignited her dream of becoming a physical therapist. Widely respected and deeply student-focused, USC’s doctor of physical therapy program quickly became her top choice.

“I applied to just one school and if I got in, it was meant to be,” she says. “And I’m grateful it was.”

Deepened Perspectives

During her DPT studies, Wells’ perspective on human movement deepened.

“I thought I understood physical therapy, but this program totally challenged my mindset. I now look at how people move completely differently,” she says. “There’s so much science, detail and intention behind human movement.”

Wells’ time at USC was shaped by more than just academics. In the span of a single year, she experienced unimaginable loss — first, her sister, in the summer of 2024, and then, just months later, her husband, Vernell, in November. The two had been married for less than a year but had been each other’s constant since meeting in Missouri in 2019.

“He was my best friend, my rock. We joked that we felt like we grew up together,” Wells says of their time together from milestones to the COVID-19 lockdown. “Whenever I felt stressed, he would push me forward by saying, ‘It’s already done!’ Even now, I can hear him cheering me on. That mindset — our faith — carried me through.”

Forward with Intention

In her grief, Wells found unexpected strength through the Trojan community. Faculty and classmates rallied around her, offering flexibility, compassion and unwavering support.

“They showed up in both the fun moments and the darkest ones,” she says. “It meant everything.”

Wells also found solace and purpose through entrepreneurship. As the founder of Rayn Essence, a wellness brand specializing in candles and self-care products, she channels her belief in holistic healing.

“Whether it’s mental health, stress or recovery, wellness has to be part of the conversation in physical therapy,” she says. “I’ve always believed in caring for the whole person, and that includes self-care.”

Before deciding which of her physical therapy passions to pursue — pediatrics, pelvic health or orthopedics — Wells is taking a pause, not to stop, but to reflect and care for herself.

“I’ve been a student for the past seven years,” she says. “I want to get to know the person I am today so that I enter my next chapter with even greater clarity and intention.”