Where do you currently live and what was your undergraduate degree in?
I currently live in Virginia and I got my bachelor’s degree in athletic training about eight years ago.
When will you graduate from IWU’s master’s in athletic training program?
The program is eleven months long, so I will be graduating in May.
How did you feel about going back to school to pursue a master’s degree?
I was very hesitant about coming back to school in general just because it had been so long.
Where are you currently employed?
I work with the Marine Corps. The students I’m working with are all trying to become marine officers. So if you’re becoming a marine officer, you go through where I work. It’s the only place in the country that creates section lieutenant officers in the marine corps. So it’s actually quite an honor. I love it.
Can you give an example of a time that you directly applied what you learned in one of your classes to your athletic training career?
There's been multiple situations. I had a girl at my current job, I knew she had dyskinesia of the shoulder, which means her shoulder blade wasn't moving correctly, the way it's supposed to. I knew that was the general problem with her when I saw her. I mean, we had to memorize the entire brachial plexus, and I knew exactly what nerve it was after taking anatomy.
How and why did you chose Indiana Wesleyan University?
My boss found me a bunch of schools and I kind of went through the list. I liked that this school (IWU) was Christian, and I liked that it was small. I tend to work best in those types of environments. I called very last minute, basically like April or May and I talked to the program manager. I was calling for the next year because I had missed the date apparently, so I was just trying to get information. He (the program manager) was like, “Would you be interested in making it happen this year?”
So basically in a week, I wrote a paper, sent all my stuff in, and I talked with Dr. Foster (professor of athletic training). He just made me feel like an important person, which meant a lot to me, because I was very hesitant about coming back to school in general. It was just the perfect day.
At the beginning of the program, the athletic training students all come to IWU for two weeks of accelerated courses before beginning online classes. What was this experience like for you?
It’s crazy. We were literally in class from 7:00 in the morning until 9:00 at night. It goes, class, lab, class, lab, and then you have to study. You have two tests, one on the first Saturday and the other on the next Saturday, and then after that you leave. It was a pretty emotional experience, to be honest with you, because I need more time to learn things, that’s just the type of student I am.
But literally by the third day, I would call half of these people (fellow students) family. We just bonded and we were a team. I love everyone in the program. A lot of them have really changed my life for the better. I couldn’t have done that two weeks without them. They all spent time tutoring me, which was really kind of them.
What is it like to work and go to school at the same time?
Honestly, it’s kind of stressful because I work a full-time job. I'm up at 4:00 in the morning because, with the military, you obviously have to work with them (marine corps in training) before they go off to training. I’m off work at 5:15 and I literally come home and do school work.
Are you glad you chose to do an online degree as opposed to in-person?
One hundred percent because I wanted to make money, so I’m saving money and it’s more affordable than taking time off (to do school on-site). And I didn’t want to quit my job – I love it. I did not want to leave. So I knew that any program I chose had to be online.
What was your experience like with the online portion of the program?
It’s a very engaged program. I talk to my classmates all the time online, and we have a group chat. I can call Dr. Foster any time I have questions. They want you to succeed, and that’s actually what I love the most about it. They really care about you. I feel invested in, and I’m investing in them. I would recommend this to anyone that was trying to get their master’s.
How has your life improved because of this program?
In my work life, it’s giving me confidence, not that I wasn’t confident before, but I’m even more confident now.
There are a lot of classes in this program that I didn’t have access to my undergrad. So like, I'm doing sports psychology or doing nutrition. It's like a little boost in an area that I didn't have as much experience in, which is another reason why I chose the program.
And then in my personal life, the devotions alone. They’re hard if you’re doing them right, if you are really trying to evaluate who you are as a person. They ask hard questions. Half of the time they literally bring me to tears. It's an emotional experience. I am just very vulnerable with my posts, and they (fellow students) just all respond so kindly.
What is one thing you really like about the program?
I really like that it challenges me on a spiritual level because I’ve really fallen away and I’ve always been trying to kind of find my way back. I was just kind of lost in life, and then the program fell into the right time. God has a plan for me. It’s a great program. I love it. It’s giving me a lot of confidence because I am doing well and I didn’t think I would do well.