How has Kinesiology/AT prepared you?
I feel that all of my Kinesiology classes, especially those pertaining to injuries, are continually preparing me for my future in sports medicine. My friends and family come to me whenever they have an injury or illness asking for my assessment and suggestions pertaining to their problems. Thanks to my AT injury evaluation and anatomy classes, I was able to ask intelligent questions, thus leaving a good impression while shadowing an orthopedic surgeon.

How did you decide to be an athletic trainer?
I was accepted to U of M as a Biology major and found out about Kinesiology shortly after my acceptance. I looked into the four majors offered and immediately became interested in the AT program. I had worked as a physical therapy aide for two years and wanted to stay within sports medicine. Athletic Training provided the perfect means to continue this specific focus throughout my undergraduate studies rather than waiting until medical school to further my knowledge in the field. I therefore switched majors before starting classes my freshman year.

What class have you enjoyed most in the Athletic Training program?
I loved the injury evaluation classes because they were interesting to me and directly applicable in real life. I also enjoyed Sport Psychology because it helped to understand both my own actions as an athlete as well as those of collegiate athletes with whom I work.

How do you manage your time when going to class and having clincial rotations?
Time management is a critical lesson learned within your first semester in the Athletic Training program. Attending practices and games every day can seem overwhelming at first, but you figure out how much time you need to reserve for studying after practices and are able to develop a routine. I would rather be busy than bored, so I enjoyed having classes immediately followed by practices and studying; it keeps me occupied and I still manage to have a normal social life.