Biography
When I began my freshman year at the University of Michigan I did not completely understand what it meant to be an athletic trainer. As a high school senior preparing for college, my desire to study athletic training largely stemmed from a mentor I had who majored in Athletic Training and had a profound impact on my life. He enabled me to make great strides as an athlete. While the effects he had on my physical traits were undeniable, the impact he had on my view on life was tremendous. He understood that there was life outside of sports and helped me realize this too. I was encouraged to think about my life purpose. This led me to the realization that things like compassion and empathy were integral to who I am and how I view the world. These realizations have been ground-breaking when thinking about my identity and my goals in life. It is an understatement to say that he changed my life. He has inspired me to want to have a similar effect on others. I believe that athletic training provides an ideal platform to do so.
It was not until I started my clinical experiences that I really understood what Athletic Training involved. Working for the prestigious Michigan Football team was unlike anything I had ever done before. All athletic trainers know how the hours are insane and days off do not exist, but the experience I had with Michigan Football was unique because of the irregular days. It felt as if we were simply in a world of chaos and all we could do was control the controllables. At first I struggled. I questioned if this I could survive as an athletic trainer. Gradually, with the help of my fellow athletic training students at football, I became more comfortable and saw the bigger picture of Michigan Football. I began to embrace the struggle and I am so glad that I did.
Thanks to the dedication I put in throughout the semester, opportunities I could not have imagined became available to me. Running out onto the field at the Orange Bowl was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I hope I can make an annual one. Being asked to join the football team as they travel to Rome was a surreal moment. Returning to work as a summer intern with Michigan Football is an honor that will certainly be valuable for my career development.
My professional goal is to work as an Athletic Trainer for a Division I College Football Team. This lofty goal inspires me to work even harder in the classroom and in my clinical experiences. As I worked with Women’s Soccer this past semester, I have found that the greatest intellectual growth occurs when the lessons learned in the classroom are applied to my real-life experiences. I also realize that my greatest personal growth occurs when I commit myself to working as a part of the team, looking at my role in the scheme of things, and embracing the challenges are presented to athletic trainers every day.
At this point I imagine you might be thinking to yourself, "Well, why is he minoring in writing?"
It turns out my personal journey to developing a passion for writing in not an unfamiliar one. Just as I had a mentor who inspired me to study Athletic Training, I have had individuals in my life who inspired me to write. One of my high school English teachers, Ms. Vanni, and my First-Year Writing Class Graduate Student Instructor, Kyle Frisina, both sparked a strong desire to improve my writing skills. They asked the questions that I felt I could connect to my life. While I was taking their classes, I was able to write about my life purpose and my favorite ideas: empathy and compassion.
Just as there have been hard times with athletic training, there have been many times that I have struggled as a writer. The AP Literature class I took as a high school senior made me question how good of a writer I was. I had trouble as I misinterpreted prompts and had difficulty connecting readings to other concepts in my writing. There have even been times this semester when I have struggled with the writing process. Writing takes time and this semester I have not had a lot of it. Taking 18-credits and working a job 20+ hours a week translated to numerous late nights sitting at my laptop trying to will myself to write that near-perfect essay.
While I cannot credit writing with giving me the opportunity to run out on to the football field in a stadium filled with over 100,000 people, writing has provided me with plenty of positives in my life. As I wrote in my "Why I Write" piece, I am able to connect with others through my writing. Furthermore, the struggle of writing makes the moments when I do complete a paper that I am proud of even more special.
While I do not have a definitive personal goal for myself as a writer, I simply want to keep improving as a communicator and thinker. I know that there will never be a point in which I am a perfect writer, but that does not mean I should not aspire to be the very best that I can be. The Sweetland Center Minor in Writing Program is a powerful creation that will enable me maximize my growth as a writer, communicator, thinker, and person.
This is why I am an athletic training student minoring in writing.
