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Athletic Training Student Directory

Alumni Interviews

Why did you choose UWSP to pursue your athletic training career?
One of my best buddies Mitch went to UW-Stevens Point and I fell in love with the campus atmosphere. UWSP has one of those small-town feels with a campus in the middle, which I enjoyed. I thought the people at Point were very friendly and I really enjoyed getting to know everyone during the times I visited. Then once I applied and got in, it was a no-brainer where I wanted to go with my academic career with athletic training. I love medicine and love anatomy which was something new that I got to do every day. So luckily, I got into the program and the rest was history. I’d say it was a pretty easy decision to pick UWSP. I still look back at my times there and do not regret any second.

How did UWSP help you get to where you are today?
My rotation with the Pointers men’s hockey team was a very big part of it. I applied for many jobs when I first graduated. I applied to graduate programs as well. Nothing was going my way, and then one day I applied to three different places. One was a graduate position, one was a clinical position in Minnesota, and the other was a high school position in Illinois. I remember calling Holly Schmies, and I was like I don’t know what to do. I have three different positions. This one is paying more, this one is better for education, and this one is a cooler opportunity, what do I do? Holly said, “Money will come in the future, pick the cooler opportunity for sure. You’ll learn more hands-on about what you want to do.” So I went to Illinois for a job interview and got down there. He said, “We aren’t going to hire you for the high school position, but we have a hockey position in the SPHL with the Peoria Riverman and we want to offer you that job.” I was like yes, 100%, sign me up. I thought it was the coolest thing. I was with professional sports; I didn’t realize the level of the league I was in. I just thought it was just a cool opportunity. I didn’t realize there were other leagues other than the NHL and I had to work my way up to get there, but I’m so glad I went there. That hockey rotation was the only reason he looked at my resume in the first place because he saw that I had hockey experience with UWSP. Along with it, all the professors were awesome–Danelle, Holly and Beth. The way they taught was that they understood that there are different ways of learning and they provided a mixture of all times. It was a cool experience to have with them along with the smaller class size of twelve people. So, we got to know everyone really close and it became more of a family.

What setting(s) were you interested in during the program vs where you are now? Did you envision yourself in the setting you’re in now when you were in the UWSP program?
Professional sports weren’t even on my radar. I thought to myself that I would go to a high school and be happy there. College came around and I thought I’d like to do it since I liked the atmosphere. Those were the two I was set on and where I’m at now just kind of fell in my lap. We took it and ran with it and haven’t looked back since.

What are some of the biggest rewards of your current setting?
Looking back, I was never the strongest academic person. College clicked better for me. The biggest reward is looking back at where I came from and seeing where I’m at now. Having people doubt that I wouldn’t make anything of myself is probably the biggest reward. To share my accomplishments with my friends and family, move up the ranks within my career, and make something of myself. I think you should always strive for more and you should never be content where you’re at. Being around the players and the staff. Everyone here with the Florida Panthers is unbelievable, they are so welcoming so it’s very rewarding showing up to work every day loving what you do.

What is your favorite part about being an athletic trainer?
It’s something new every day. We don’t deal with the same thing every day. Our profession doesn’t just sit at the desk crunching number. We’re out in the field covering different things and sports every day. I get to see different injuries and try different techniques every day. I get to learn from my coworkers or through online or in-person learning classes. I get the best seats in the house and watch one of the nation’s biggest events, so that’s pretty cool.

What advice do you have for MS-AT students heading into their first ATC positions?
Keep your head up, there are going to be some good days, there are going to be some bad days. It’s not all going to be great memories. You’re going to have some tough and long days. Seeing your first big injury can be a pretty scary event and it’s ok to talk to people about it. Always find that one person you can go to a vent it out. That’s something I learned very quickly; it’s a scary job that we do sometimes. But it’s ok to talk to people about it. We also wear many hats as athletic trainers. We’re going to deal with some equipment stuff, injuries, rehabs, water and even help coaches. Sometimes we were so many hats that you no longer had the mindset of only being athletic trainers. You’re going to be the person people come talk to vent.

Where do you currently work, and what is your title?
I currently work for the Minnesota Department of Corrections at MCF-Togo as a sports medicine specialist.

What does your job entail?
At my job I supervise inmates during physical training exercises which are either running, aerobics or weightlifting. I treat musculoskeletal injuries for the inmates, create treatment plans for each individual, as well as determine if they are physically capable of completing a prison boot camp program by doing pre-screening.

What year did you graduate from UWSP?
I graduated from UWSP in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training.

What is your favorite thing about your job?
My favorite part of my job is helping troubled adult men turn their lives around and get healthy so they can hopefully be successful citizens when they return home.

What is one piece of advice you have for current athletic training students?
The biggest piece of advice I can give is to keep an open mind about your future jobs, always keep learning and look for opportunities to continue to grow wherever you end up.

Where do you currently work, and what is your title? 
I work at
Grant Regional Health Center in Lancaster, Wis., as an athletic trainer/cardiac rehabilitation coordinator.

What does your job entail?
Outreach AT coverage to two local high schools, which includes practice and game coverage 2-4 days per week. I coordinate our Cardiac Rehab program, which includes cardiac risk factor assessment, exercise prescription, and patient assessment.

What year did you graduate from UWSP?
I graduated from UWSP in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training.

What is your favorite thing about your job?
My favorite part of my job is watching someone return to what they love (sport, work, chasing grandkids, achieving a dream to play a sport in college, etc.) and knowing that I had a part in that.

What is one piece of advice you have for current athletic training students?
Soak it all up. You will probably meet some of the most important people in your life while you are there, both professionally and personally. Make the most of your time there.

Where do you currently work, and what is your title?
I’m a clinical athletic trainer at Sentara Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Specialist located in North Carolina with outreach to local high schools/colleges prn.

What does your job entail?
Rooming orthopedic patients ages 10-104! I mainly work with a shoulder surgeon (shoulder arthroscopy, total/reverse total shoulders, knee meniscectomy, ACL repair), and I get to work with a physician assistant (PA) who specializes in total knee and total hip replacements TKA/THA. I get a detailed history of the patient and their injury, go over their medications, allergies, and get vital signs. I assist with drawing up injections/aspirations of joints, fit patients for multiple different braces, walking boots, and cast any broken/fractured wrists/ankles. I also work pre-visit planning before patients are seen as we need to know if they have had any X-rays and pending them if not for the appointment and writing a summary why the patient is coming in for and what body part. I authorize for MRI and work with insurance. I also outreach to local high schools/colleges prn.

What year did you graduate from UWSP?
I graduated from UWSP in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training (the last bachelor’s class!).

What is your favorite thing about your job?
I love how I get to see a mixture of injuries! I also enjoy shadowing in the operating room when I get the chance or have free time!

What is one piece of advice you have for current athletic training students?
One piece of advice I have is don’t be afraid of failure! You have amazing professors & preceptors to help guide you! They will give you all the tools you need to become the best AT you can be. You have to believe in yourself, and I promise you one day it will just click, and the information/knowledge will just come to you naturally! It’s all about the repetitions. “Fail” now and learn from your mistakes, ask questions, and most of all lean onto your classmates for help! Our class still communicates with one another weekly!

Where do you currently work, and what is your title?
I am the associate head athletic trainer at University of St. Thomas through Twin Cities Orthopedics.

What does your job entail?
I work at the university with our Division 1 men’s hockey and men’s/women’s golf teams, but I am hired by a local orthopedic clinic – TCO. I get to help student-athletes move mindfully to reach their full potential and goals as an athlete and a healthy individual while teaching them and students about quality healthcare!

What year did you graduate from UWSP?
I graduated from UWSP in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training.

What is your favorite thing about your job?
The connections I get to make with both my student-athletes and coaches. When athletes come to me not just for rehab or treatment, but also to share their progress, celebrate milestones, or ask for guidance, it shows that they see me as a part of their journey. Also, being included in team decisions regarding return to play, workload management, and showing how our work contributes to performances and keeping the team healthy!

What is one piece of advice you have for current athletic training students?
Never stop learning, trust your gut and set your ego aside. The most intelligent people have a way to gain trust and respect by admitting what they don’t know and finding the answer.

Where do you currently work, and what is your title?
I work at Boynton Beach High School in Boynton, Fla., as a medical academy teacher and secondary athletic trainer.

What does your job entail?
I currently work two full-time jobs, one as an anatomy/physiology teacher and the second as the secondary school athletic trainer for Boynton Beach High School. During the day I teach 9th and 10th grade high school students about our human anatomy and how it works. After school, I oversee all the athletic teams at a 1,500-student high school. I take care of injury evaluations, treatments/rehabs, first aid, emergency care/EAP protocols, nutrition and hydration protocols, budgets/supplies for the ATR, pre-participation physicals, etc. Outside the school setting, I also get opportunities to pick up extra pay during weekend/summer shifts for local tennis tournaments, soccer tournaments, and to help our local colleges (Lynn University and FAU).  

What year did you graduate from UWSP?
I graduated from UWSP in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training.

What is your favorite thing about your job?
The school I work at is a “Title 1” high school, or a school of many low income/poor families. Many kids don’t have health insurance or can barely afford normal healthcare. I get to be that one healthcare option that they get to use whenever and however much they want/need to. The athletes are always so grateful to be able to see me. It makes my job so much more worthwhile!

What is one piece of advice you have for current athletic training students?
Ask questions about everything when you’re on your rotations! Ask why your clinical preceptors do what they do because understanding the concepts/reasons rather than just memorizing what it is to pass a test, goes so far in the real world!

Where do you currently work, and what is your title?
I am a staff athletic trainer with Prevea Health at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

What does your job entail?
I work with the softball team and split coverage with the swim & dive team.

What year did you graduate from UWSP?
I graduated from UWSP in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training.

What is your favorite thing about your job?
Working with an athlete day in and day out after surgery or with long-term rehabs and watching them step back on the field for that first game back.

What is one piece of advice you have for current athletic training students?
This profession can be a grind, make sure you have a support system around you that can help you when you are in the thick of it, and maximize your time away from work with hobbies/self-care. You can’t help others if your own cup is empty.