When I was in high school, I was being recruited to play soccer at the collegiate level when the Eagles’ coach at the time contacted me about signing for AU. Ashland felt like a great fit almost immediately. I was able to major in Athletic Training while also playing on the women’s soccer team. My cousin was also in school at Ashland at the time, so I knew it was the place I wanted to be. On my orientation day, the Rec Center had a table in which they were explaining what they offer. I applied for an intramural official position, and, several weeks into the fall semester, I was contacted for an interview. Even though I had already missed several training sessions, I was immediately welcomed and began officiating all sorts of different sports. I loved working at the Rec Center, because I had a new family and flexible hours that worked around my soccer and class schedule. My senior year of college, one of the Assistant Directors told me about a Graduate Assistant position at the University of Florida as an Athletic Trainer in campus recreation. The job was everything I wanted, but I was nervous about possibly moving to Florida, away from my family and friends. After accepting the position, I started a new life in Gainesville, Florida, and finished my Master’s degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology two years later. I was lucky enough to be offered a full-time position as Coordinator of Athletic Training at UF RecSports and continue to serve in that role almost three years later. I am where I am today because of the relationships I built at Ashland and cannot thank the university enough for providing me the opportunity to grow as a person and professional.
