Helping Produce Successful Outdoor Recreation and Education Conference Results in Lasting Partnerships

By Aaron Conover '93
Director of Ferrum Outdoors

Aaron Conover '93

In the summer of 2015, I was asked by the Roanoke City Parks and Recreation Department to be a host team committee member and the volunteer coordinator for the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE) Annual Conference, which was to be held in Roanoke in November 2017.

AORE supports the needs of outdoor educators and recreation professionals who are affiliated with non-profit organizations and actively engages in issues and policies that impact the outdoor industry and its members. AORE also provides opportunities to exchange information, network and support other colleagues and students who are in the outdoor recreation field. The culmination of the AORE mission and goals is the AORE Annual Conference, which is held in different locations in the United States. Past host cities have included Portland, Atlanta, Seattle, and Minneapolis; having Roanoke selected as the location for the 2017 conference was extraordinary.

As an AORE member representing Ferrum College, I agreed to join the host team committee and became one the key players in bringing the 2017 AORE Annual Conference to Roanoke. We had a large amount of work to do to highlight how amazing our region is and to put on an awesome conference that would equal or surpass previous gatherings. This was also the first year that host team committee members where from multiple agencies and organizations. The dedicated crew of fourteen consisted of representatives from three different parks and recreation departments - Roanoke City, Roanoke County, and the Town of Blacksburg; five regional colleges and universities - Hollins University, Roanoke College, Radford University, James Madison University, and Ferrum College; and the Boy Scouts of America.

Volunteerism is the tradition of AORE and is necessary for the onsite operation of the annual conference. I was tasked with coordinating the promotion, registration, training, and scheduling of over 150 attendees who needed to fill 325 volunteer spots during the four days of the conference. The 2017 AORE Annual Conference drew 640 attendees from across the country. It was a team effort, for sure, between the Host Committee, AORE and Event Garde, LLC, the agency managing logistics.

Some Host Team Members

The biggest reward for the time and effort it took to serve on the host team committee and as volunteer coordinator was being able to represent Ferrum College and our outdoor community in such an integral and prominent way. The day to day interactions with the volunteers and many of the other attendees while stationed at the registration desk allowed me to really highlight the positive attributes of the region as well as Ferrum College. The conference may have lasted only four days but the partnerships and network developed between the host team and AORE members will be long lasting. The conference truly lived up to its theme of “Shaping a Community of Adventure”.

The Washington Semester Program: A Semester-long "Study Abroad" at American University

By Dorothy Carroll '18

The Washington Semester Program (WSP) is a semester-long “study abroad” at American University in Washington D.C. WSP students have the opportunity to take internship and concentration-specific seminar courses two days a week and intern three days a week. There are several concentration options: American Politics, Global Economics, Sustainable Development, Foreign Policy, Justice and Law, and Journalism/News Media. I am in the Justice and Law Concentration, and am interning at the Department of Justice (DOJ), Justice Management Division (JMD).

WSP takes advantage of the D.C setting and is a very experiential learning program. “Class” days consist of visiting different places like The National Museum of American History, The Drug Enforcement Administration Museum, The Newseum, House and Senate Hearings, The Capitol, The United States Supreme Court, Quantico, and many more. We also hear from guest speakers, attend internship fairs, and are given the opportunity to join additional LinkedIn and other career development sessions.

Each WSP student has a different internship experience, but mine has been great so far. I have been able to network with people from components outside of JMD, attend professional development workshops, learn about the accomplishments of DOJ employees, and even meet the Attorney General.

Outside of WSP courses, and interning, D.C. has so much to offer to students. For example, I have been able to go to festivals on the weekends and hear a variation of music, see different groups with tents advocating for their cause, taste new food, look at local artwork, and interact with other people at the festivals. I have also been “monumenting” several times, toured the Supreme Court, visited the Library of Congress, explored Arlington Cemetery, walked around Georgetown, etc.

This program has already offered invaluable experience to my undergraduate study of political science and I have only been here for a few weeks. See additional photographs here.

Study Abroad 2017: Joshua Sanders '18 in China

By Joshua Sanders '18

August 9, 2017: Hello all, this time from America! I’ve finally settled back in and gotten used to the time difference (and I’m almost over how sad I am about not being able to get awesome Chinese food every day). For the last two weeks of my China trip, I left the research laboratory and joined up with the United Nations Academic Impact “Incredible Three Gorges” Summer School for classes such as Chinese culture, mythology, songs, dance, language, and calligraphy (to name a few). Unfortunately, I passed all of my classes so I won’t be heading back next summer to re-take any of them (ha-ha). I got a Chinese name during the summer school classes, “成河人” (Chéng Hé Rén) meaning to become like a person of the river. I helped choose this name because of a traditional Chinese idea about water and rivers, “上善若水” (Shang shan ruo shi) meaning “the highest virtue is to become like water”. In Chinese culture rivers and water are seen calm and gentle, bending and giving way to stronger forces when needed but also being strong and carving through rock and tackling obstacles.

Throughout our time in the summer school program, each of the foreign students (two from Korea, three from Italy, and two other Americans plus myself) were assigned a volunteer who was a student at CTGU to help us and guide us. My volunteer, Jiang Nan, was incredible and was always happy to help us out or go out shopping, eating, or to KTV with us. She even helped me online shop for some gifts for others (and myself) online, and is shipping one to me that arrived after I’d left! All of the other volunteers were amazing as well, and at the closing ceremony before everybody left there were tears and hugs all around.

During the summer school, in addition to classes we went out on cultural outings, such as visits to the Three Gorges Dam (the world’s largest hydroelectric power facility), Zigui and Jiangxi for white water rafting (yes, white water rafting!), a tea factory to learn how to pick and process green tea, and a trip to a bijou factory. (Bijou is a traditional Chinese alcohol, the translation into English is “wine” however bijou is not wine, it is most certainly liquor… very strong liquor.) I have been and will continue sifting through all of the pictures I have to post some more to the Flickr album, but I took a lot of pictures and the volunteers took many as well and were kind enough to put them on a flash drive for me, so I’ve got hundreds of pictures and movies to go through.

My last night in China, I went out with several friends from the research lab I had worked in, and we ate dinner then went out singing KTV. Karaoke, which is “KTV” in China, is incredibly popular. In America, when someone says “karaoke” the mental image often conjured up is someone in a bar who got drunk and decided that karaoke was a good idea, but in China this isn’t the case at all. There are very nice KTV places with lots of individual rooms, and you and your friends can rent the room for a few hours. In the room, there’s often a disco ball or some laser lights, and a really nice tv set-up with a little tablet/display to pick songs to sing; KTV is comparable to making plans and going out bowling or to play mini-golf with friends.

Now that I’m back stateside (which almost didn’t happen on time because my flight from Yichang to Shanghai sat on the tarmac for two hours before take-off, yikes) I definitely want to stay for a while and finish my schooling but after I graduate from grad school (hopefully with a Ph.D) I definitely want to go back to Yichang and teach for a year at CTGU. I’ve spoken with some of the instructors at the school and with Dr. Johnson about it, and I’ve been told that it’s relatively certain that I’d be able to teach for a year, so that is definitely on my horizon. Until then, I’ll keep in touch with all of the friends I made in China and study hard so that I can graduate on time and get back to Yichang.

Thanks for reading and keeping up with all of my adventures in China, and more pics are on the way when I find the time to get through all of them! And again, I am incredibly thankful that I’m a Ferrum Panther, and that I’m in the Boone Honors Program. The professors, advisors, and everyone else in my Ferrum family help me be the student I am and do the amazing things I have been given chances to do. Without the support of my fellow Ferrum students and the professors and advisors I emailed and Skype called, I wouldn’t have made it through my time in China. It’s a great day to be a Panther.

Read my other blog posts shared in June 2017 and July 2017.

My Health and Human Performance Internship: The Most Humbling Job

By Ashley McAllister '18

The final week of my internship spent at a physical therapy clinic was full of reflection, good-byes, and many thanks from patients along with encouraging words as I continue on my journey.

During my last week I continued to learn new techniques including how physical therapists analyze a person’s gait. Taylor, the clinic’s physical therapy assistant, told me that there is a lot more than just “watching” the person walk when looking at someone’s gait. Everything goes into account, how their hips, knees, feet and even toes move as they walk. All of these things help a therapist determine how a person is moving. Taylor shared with me how during her schooling they used different techniques to look at each other’s gait during lab. One technique was sprinkling baby powder on the floor and having a person walk across it. This allows someone looking at gait to see which part of the foot a person is walking on and which toes they are using more. 

Overall, Taylor told me it takes a lot of practice to become really good at noticing the incorrect ways people move. I was able to watch a couple patients of Taylor's while she was observing their gait and I could pick up on how they were moving incorrectly based on their injuries. I felt accomplished being able to pick up on how the patient was moving and then being able to see the improvement after Taylor corrected them was a very neat experience.

As I continued to reflect on my experiences this summer I realize that you meet so many amazing people with many different backgrounds in this job field. For example, I met a patient whose life was completely changed after a terrible car crash. Despite their disability, the patient owns their own business and is one of the sweetest people I’ve met. It was amazing hearing their story and seeing how positive and hard-working they are. It was very humbling to meet and work with this person.

My last day was bittersweet, being told by many patients that I’ll do amazing things and hearing their good luck wishes with my future endeavors. It was really a confidence boost hearing so many people tell me I’m going to do great things in the future and to just have them wish me luck. I enjoyed my time at the clinic and I plan to check in with everyone I worked with. I am so blessed to have done my internship with this clinic. It was an amazing experience I know I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else!

The Most Fulfilling Prospect of My Life: The Fight for Educational Equality

By Trinity Welsh '16

Trinity Welsh '16 & Seth Chamberlin

August 2, 2017: Hi there! Recently, I began my new career as a teacher. It isn’t quite where I thought I’d go, but here we are! I’m writing as I sit outside of a Starbucks in Arkansas, a state that I never thought I’d live in. I started the summer having only worked in retail, ready to try anything new. I was pretty surprised when Teach for America extended me an offer, and I was thrilled when a high school in Helena-West Helena, AR, offered me a job before I’d received any training. I had no idea what I was doing, but I wasn’t about to say ‘no’. So, I packed my whole life in my car and drove to Mississippi. 

I stayed pretty tired-my summer was kind of like teacher boot-camp. I was up at 4:30 every day to eat and get coffee, and make my lunch, so that I could catch the bus for the hour-long ride to school in Marks, MS. My days at Quitman County Middle School were something I can’t forget. I was pretty homesick the whole time, but I won’t ever be able to forget my 8th graders. They were worth it. We were only in school until 1 every day, but in those few hours we came to know each other pretty well. I can tell you now, that there is nothing like watching a student become less concerned with popularity and more excited to show their brilliance, or watching children grow into classroom leaders.

After school, we tripped it back to Delta State University to spend a few hours in class ourselves, learning to develop classroom culture and cultivate working relationships with students, as well as devise strategy for classroom learning. We were finished by 6 every day, when we would take some time to eat dinner, work out, and lesson plan for the next days.

At the time, it felt like the summer would never end. But, tomorrow is my first day of work as a certified teacher, and there is nowhere else I’d choose to be. Helena is a school district that suffers from a lack of industry and funding. It’s a beautiful ghost-town. But it’s home, now, and I’m eager to fight for her survival.

I believe that everything happens for a reason. I was a politics major, and it seems like I’ve been given the opportunity to affect change in areas where I am most needed. The fight for educational equality might be the most fulfilling prospect of my life. Our motto at TFA is “One day, all children.” I’ll meet my kids next week, but I started fighting for them in June.

Wish me luck tomorrow! It’s going to be a big day.

Study Abroad 2017 2: Joshua Sanders '18 in China

By Joshua Sanders '18

July 10, 2017: Greetings again from China! Today officially ends my period of working in the chemistry lab and tomorrow marks the first day of my UNAI CTGU Summer School classes.

(L-R) Dyes Methylene Blue, Crystal Violet,
Methyl Orange, and Sulforhodamine B. 

I found some really interesting data through my work in the lab. In this photograph, I show the four dyes I worked with this summer. The Methylene Blue (MB) and Crystal Violet (CV) are separated from the Methyl Orange (MO) and Sulforhodamine B (SRB) because the MB and CV are cationic dyes and the MO and SRB anionic dyes, meaning that the blue and violet dyes have a positive charge on the dye molecules, and the MO and SRB have a negative charge on the dye molecules.

The biochar I used in all of my research was suspected to be anionic as well (negatively charged.) This was supported by some of my data: the negatively charged dyes didn’t absorb at all on the surface of the biochar, following the old phrase “opposites attract”. Just like magnets, the negative charge of the dyes was repelled by the (suspected) negative charge of the biochar. Also like magnets, the positive charge of the cationic dyes was attracted to the negative charge of the dye.

Though I’m not sure exactly how my data will be used, I have given over all of my data to my research advisor here at China Three Gorges University, and will be told later on if any of my data will be used in any future research or publications.

Joshua Sanders in front of the only Christian church in Yichang.

Before he returned to Ferrum, Dr. Johnson took me to downtown Yichang and showed me around. We visited the only Christian church in Yichang and a popular public park near the Yangtze river, which was filled with people and families exercising and enjoying their weekend. We also went to Wuhan to meet two students, Dawn and Feng, who previously came to Ferrum College, and Pan Xiaojie, from the Wuhan Institute of Hydroecology, who visited Ferrum’s Smith Mountain Lake Water Quality Lab in the summer of 2016. During this trip, Dr. J and I visit the Yellow Crane Tower and had a meal at a crawfish restaurant. Crawfish have become incredibly popular in southern China over the past few years.

Tomorrow the summer school classes start, so I will have another update to send out as soon as I go on more adventures and meet other people who have come to study in China. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer, and I look forward to sending out some more pictures and info before I head home. I can’t wait to be back stateside, and I’m definitely ready to be back at Ferrum for my senior year for classes this year. Until then, I’ll be learning, meeting new people, and having adventures. Until next time!

See additional photographs here.

My Fulbright Experience: José M. Gutiérrez, Fulbright Spanish Language Teaching Assistant

Hi! It’s been a month since I came back home and the summer heat is making me miss Ferrum. Almost a year ago I found out I was coming to this place of the United States and the only thing I thought was that I was coming to the middle of nowhere. Now that my stay is over I cannot help feeling nostalgic, and not only because of the weather.

Back in September, I missed my hometown so much, but as time went by, I learned to appreciate this college. And it would have not been possible without the very nice people I met and the various activities offered by the college; it was especially helpful to go to the YMCA to adjust better to my new life. In addition, this semester I got involved in more activities. I went skiing and hiking with Ferrum Outdoors, and I also tried zip lining and rock climbing. I never considered myself and outdoor person but I must admit these activities made me realize how much fun I was missing.

I also went to the theater, had fun in the game club and the spring fling, participated in bowl making, enjoyed the choir presentation and the dance recital, and attended some Inquiring Minds presentations. I even had the opportunity to give a presentation about the Mayan culture and language. This college may be small but it has so many activities to offer that sometimes you need to choose between them. I can honestly say that I am glad I was sent to Ferrum.

Now, I must return to my English classes. It was an enriching experience to switch and teach Spanish in Ferrum. I got to compare beginner Spanish students here with English beginner students in Mexico. It made me realize the struggles that English students have or don’t have in Mexico depending on the aspects of language like pronunciation and grammar. My stay as well as the courses I took will also help me to improve my classes. Now that I have a better understanding of American culture and history, I feel more confident to promote it in my English classes back home. After all, language and culture are inextricable linked.

I can only be grateful for this experience and for all the wonderful people I met who made this stay even more enjoyable.

See more of my photographs here.

Study Abroad 2017: Joshua Sanders '18 in China

Greetings from Yichang, in the Hubei Province of China!

Joshua Sanders '18 and Dr. David Johnson in China.

My name is Joshua Sanders and I am a rising senior at Ferrum College pursuing a B.S in chemistry. This summer I have been privileged to study at the China Three Gorges University (CTGU) in Dr. Huang Ying Ping’s lab thanks to the generous financial support of the Boone Honors Program. Additionally, I’ve had the honor to work in the same research group as Dr. David Johnson, professor emeritus of Ferrum College, who has been crucial in building bridges and making connections between students of Ferrum College and CTGU.

To be boring and scientific, I’m investigating the catalytic abilities of metal-doped biochar to degrade organic pollutants via Photo-Fenton chemistry. Regular human-speak, I’m looking at the ability of a cheap, easily produced, and environmentally-friendly way to clean up wastewater from pharmaceutical, textile, and industrial production facilities.

Biochar is basically organic material, such as peanut husks, sewer sludge, plants, and other organic stuff, which has been pyrolyzed (or burned and turned to carbon in a low oxygen environment.) Think of ground up charcoal powder, like the activated carbon you use in some aquarium filters, that’s been made from what would otherwise be trash or waste material.

In my case, the biochar was made from a plant that selectively absorbed copper from the soil, meaning it could help “clean” soil before being turned to biochar. An added benefit of a metal-doped biochar is that depending on the metal absorbed, the biochar product can be used in Fenton reactions. In addition to phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils, the absorbed metal ion is used to generate other chemical species that can attack the pollutants and either absorb them from the water or turn them into less harmful molecules, water, and oxygen gas.

Biochar has become very popular recently due to its wide variety of applications including its ability to “scrub” pollutants from water, soil and air; produce biofuel; and reduce the amount of waste to be managed. Biochar is an attractive and interesting avenue to pursue in the field of climate control and environmental pollution control.

You can see more of my photographs here.

Robert Cunningham: A True Ferrum College Success Story

By Tom Steele, Ferrum College Director of Academic Outreach Initiatives

Robert Cunningham '17 is a true Ferrum College success story. He defied the academic odds makers by earning his degree in Sports Management, which he completed in only four years! Robert accomplished this milestone while managing more responsibilities than did most of his peers. 

When asked what the past four years at Ferrum College have taught him, Robert replied, “Work hard. There are no shortcuts; you gotta grind through it.” One might say that Robert has excelled in the grind.

Robert first learned about Ferrum College at a wrestling camp in his home town of York, SC, which was hosted by Ferrum Head Wrestling Coach Nate Yetzer. Robert explained, “Coach Yetzer and Jason Byrd (Director of Admissions), stayed in contact with me. They helped with everything and got me thinking that I could make college a reality.”

During his years at the College, Robert earned membership in the Ferrum Scholars program. He was selected captain of the wrestling team. He shared his wisdom and positive outlook by mentoring new freshmen in the Brother4Brother program. Robert also became a devoted husband and loving father. These have been busy, exciting years for the Cunningham family.

However, Robert wasn’t always confident that he would earn his college degree. Robert shared, “I am a first generation college student. I didn’t come to Ferrum for academics. I came to Ferrum to wrestle. But, I used my resources, I had success early, and I began to gain confidence. The discipline I learned from wrestling was a big help, and my coaches kept pushing me. I had to learn how to study and how to balance my time and responsibilities. I had a lot of support at Ferrum.”

Between his sophomore and junior years, Robert married his high school sweetheart, Ki’Aira. They have been blessed with a daughter, Kylie. Before they joined him in Ferrum, Robert was a frequent traveler to Rock Hill, SC to spend time with his family. The couple talked nightly on Facetime. Ki’Aira says the times she and Robert were apart while he was in school were the most difficult, especially with an infant in the home. Robert's family joined him at Ferrum for his senior year.

Robert has a plan for the Cunninghams' future. His goal is to become an athletic director. He will begin his career journey as a wrestling coach for nearby Patrick County High School. The journey will be a grind, with no shortcuts, and this is the way Robert expects it to be. His success as a student-athlete and as a family man have more than prepared him for the work that awaits. 

Note: Casey Fabris also profiled Robert in The Roanoke Times. You can read her article here.

Diversity Served: Ferrum College Students’ Sociology Projects Transition from the Classroom to Community.

By Laurie Adams

Ferrum College will celebrate Commencement Saturday, May 6th, but just as the celebration marks an end and a beginning for graduating seniors, for some students, class projects begun here at Ferrum will also be moving into their own next phases.

Abria Witcher

Students in Dr. Susan Mead’s Sociology 391 Directed Study Course undertook a number of social justice projects in the fall of 2016 and many of those projects will be ongoing, either through the students’ own efforts, or by incorporation into larger non-profit efforts. Here’s a look back – and a look forward at where they started and where they’re going.

Abria Witcher’s project was in trouble. Not just in trouble – her goal of helping with Gretna Elementary School’s backpack program and raising money to assist an orphan in South Sudan was falling apart before her eyes – but that’s when things took a dramatic turn for the better. Witcher had been moved when she learned many students at the school were struggling to get their nutritional needs met. “Their only meal was lunch,” she said. A conflict of timing derailed her original plan, but Witcher pressed forward. Inspired by the 22-year-old Criminal Justice major’s efforts, all the teachers and administrative staff at the school where she interned contributed cash - stepping up to not only meet but surpass her goal by raising $250. This boost allowed Witcher to assist more than one orphan in South Sudan. “My [five] students will be able to attend primary school for a year,” said Witcher.

Witcher plans to continue coordinating with Gretna Elementary School after she graduates to help not only with their backpack program, but by helping students attend summer school. She attended Gretna Elementary and explained, “I was pretty much one of those kids in elementary school so it really spoke to me, wanting to help the students [at Gretna] as well as the orphans attend primary school in South Sudan.”

Witcher and eight classmates, under the guidance of Mead, took on independent projects to help them learn about and get hands-on experience in tackling real-world social issues. The students’ efforts focused primarily on a group of South Sudanese orphans, helping to pay their educational costs and feed them, particularly during times of the year when they aren’t able to get their meals at school. The children who have been helped by Witcher and her classmates range in age from kindergarten through high school graduates. So far the combined efforts of Mead’s students have raised over $1500.

The projects of the other students in Mead’s class varied along with each student’s specialty and the emotional chords that were struck by the plight of the people in South Sudan. Senior Caitlin Johnson, of Rocky Mount, is graduating with her Environmental Studies degree. She plans to continue working with a Ferrum alumnus who is now a middle school agriculture teacher to develop a lesson plan on farming and food deserts, both locally around Virginia and internationally, focusing on South Sudan. Having grown up on a farm, Johnson’s direction for her project was a logical extension of her interest in natural resources and agriculture.

Alexander Soltani

Alexander Soltani’s project was among the most ambitious in the class: he hoped to raise enough money to buy a Toyota Land Cruiser for Bishop Peter Youl of the Tonj Area Diocese of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan. Soltani explained that the vehicle is critically necessary to help the bishop reach far-flung parishioners in South Sudan’s rough terrain. Bishop Yuol coordinates efforts to help the orphans Soltani’s classmates raised funds to assist. A Land Cruiser was acquired for Bishop Yuol and a crowdfunding page generated by Soltani will assist in making future payments on the vehicle.

Soltani, who lives in Mississippi, said he probably would not have attempted this type of service work had he not taken the course. “Before I took this course, I had no intention to work on humanitarian efforts but Dr. Mead helped show me that you can focus on yourself, as well as others. I would like to take up a cause having to do with battered women/abused children in the future, since I hope to become a civil suit lawyer one day. One lesson I learned is sometimes the only way you can help yourself, is to help others, which falls in line with Ferrum's mission ‘Not Self, But Others,’” said Soltani.

Jonathan Dickey

Other projects focused on peace building and community development, including assisting South Sudanese widows. Senior Jonathan Dickey, of Leesburg, Va., says that raising funds to help South Sudanese widows was especially meaningful for him, having grown up with a single mom. He said, “At a young age I saw the struggles that came with that.” Dickey explained he’s focused on the educational component of outreach, noting, “The best outcome would be improved literacy and resources for the widowed mothers of South Sudan.” Like Soltani, Dickey said he came to the directed study course in a roundabout way, initially pursuing it in lieu of finding an internship, but found himself moved to press on with the course’s goals even after an internship was acquired.

Ryan Tesler, a 21-year-old Criminal Justice major from Atlanta, Ga., is raising funds to feed South Sudanese orphans. “I wish more people knew about the good people that reside in South Sudan. The conflicts, violence, and struggles seem to be all you see or hear about when South Sudan is brought up. Bishop Peter and his family is an example of one of the positive sides of South Sudan. He is the one who has brought in all these orphans to help feed and educate. Bishop Peter gave up a great paying job [for] a no salary lifestyle to help these orphans,” said Tesler, whose fundraising effort was among the most successful projects in the class.

After graduation, many of the student projects will be ongoing and the people who benefit will continue to receive assistance through Professor Mead’s non-profit, Diversity Serves. To learn more about Diversity Serves, visit its Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/Diversity-Serves-1853133511621208/ or to support ongoing student fundraising efforts visit www.gofundme.com and search for projects under “Diversity Serves.”

My Health and Human Performance Internship: An Internship That Led Me to the Next Step After Graduation

By Sarah Hendrix

This past semester I completed my 400-hour internship and had the privilege of working with our athletic training staff here at Ferrum. I went in to the internship unsure of what I was going to be doing after I graduated in May, but during my internship, I was able to find that out. I learned something new almost everyday; it did not matter if it was with my supervisor athletic trainer or another trainer in the athletic training room. I was able to stretch people, make them ice bags, help correct their movements during rehab, and so on, but I also learned some about the paperwork side of things. Luckily, being an athlete here, I could see how the paperwork was done because I was shown on my file. I was able to help out with two great teams and their coaches here on campus, the baseball and women’s basketball teams. I helped out with other sports too when I could, but those two teams were the main two I helped with during my internship.

Over the semester I had been thinking about applying to Bridgewater College to further my education, because at the end of the fall semester, our HHP department told me about the articulation agreement we had just made with Bridgewater College for their Master of Science in Athletic Training Program. I ended up applying right before spring break, the head professor called me and we discussed a few questions I had and he said he would get back to me with some answers. When he got back to me, he had answers, but also wanted me to come in for an interview and I went for one over spring break. The following week they called and offered me admission into the program, but I discussed it with my family before I made the decision a week later to attend Bridgewater. I am excited, but it is crazy to think that I am already at the point in my life to be attending Graduate School.

Needless to say, my internship here, in the athletic training room at Ferrum, helped lead me to what I will be doing after graduation. I did not know that I was going to be this interested in athletic training until my internship. I knew being an athlete through college that I was not ready to be away from the world of sports yet, so I had thought about coaching with whatever was next for me. I have always wanted to help people and with athletic training I can help the athletes I work with, but I also am able to stay around the sports world. This opportunity for graduate school fell into my lap at a perfect time because my internship made me realize that this was the next step for me. I am very thankful for the opportunity I had to work with some great coaches, athletes, professors, and especially the athletic training staff here at Ferrum College. I thank all of them for helping prepare me for the next step in my career path. I look forwards to expanding my knowledge in the athletic training world when I get to Bridgewater College.