I have had the amazing opportunity to work in the collegiate and secondary school settings within my AT career, and for me, nothing is more rewarding than working in the secondary school setting. It was my main motivator for starting my Doctor of Athletic Training (DAT) program, along with really wanting to aid my school and provide the highest quality of services to those who may not always have access to medical coverage.

I knew that A.T. Still University (ATSU) would be the best option for my doctorate, as it has the most qualified and reputable athletic trainers in our profession as faculty. I had the amazing opportunity to work alongside Dr. Kenny Lam and Dr. Nikki Harris throughout the program, who really became amazing mentors during my time at ATSU and after becoming a DAT graduate.

Becoming a DAT graduate from ATSU has really opened my eyes to areas in athletic training that I could improve and areas that I loved, as well as new opportunities within the field. After experiencing the DAT, I have really fallen in love with research and gained an understanding of the importance of research, the advancements research opens for academia, and how to use research within the AT setting. I have implemented new practices in my settings such as patient-oriented outcomes, various return-to-play concussion aids, and have been using research for prehab and rehabilitation purposes.

Through my Advanced Research Project (ARP), I was able to create and implement a mental health emergency action plan for my secondary school and give my patients and faculty more access to mental health assistance. Without my DAT, there is no way that I would have had the opportunity to engage, learn, and implement these various tools into my practice to provide the best patient-centered care to my patients. For the past few years, I have been an adjunct professor at a local university, but with the completion of my DAT, I plan on getting out of the traditional secondary school athletic training setting and fully diving into academia.

Initially, my goal with the DAT was to further my knowledge to better help serve my community and school. In the end, not only was I able to serve both of them to a higher degree, but I was also able to find and ignite my passion for serving future generations of athletic trainers. I am currently looking for full-time academia employment opportunities and looking forward to impacting future athletic trainers. I want to give a special thank you to every professor at ATSU, and if you are looking at enrolling in a DAT program, this is the one! Do not wait, I promise ATSU will not let you down!