I discovered the profession of athletic training as a freshman in high school and instantly fell in love. As I pursued my education and certification, my love and passion for this profession only grew. This profession provides such a wide range of possibilities, and for several years, it was those seemingly endless possibilities of not only what the profession was doing but what I could do that fueled my passion. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way that passion slowly dwindled. I felt stagnant as a professional, no longer able to see those possibilities or have the drive to pursue them. 

Three years ago, I was approached by my institution to teach in the HPER (Human Performance, Physical Education, and Recreation) department and to work on possibly getting a professional master's program started. I was reluctant at first; the idea of going back to school was not appealing, I hadn't ever taught, and switching from clinical to academic felt like completely changing my profession. After 6 months of debating about it, I decided to take the plunge, and a big factor in making that decision was finding the ATSU DAT program. 

At first, the program was just something I had to do to reach this new goal of being a professor and maybe starting a program. Then something happened—my passion was rekindled. Each professor brings passion to their classes that is infectious. Every class has left an impression on me personally and professionally. I have learned so many ways that I can improve as a clinician. The professors encourage us to think differently without trying to make us feel like we have to do everything. The professors of this program love this profession; it is evident in how they teach and how involved they all are in actively moving the profession forward. While not every day is a high-passion day for me, the passion is there again. I want to be a part of advancing the profession the way the professors of the DAT program are. I want to instill passion for the profession in others so that this amazing profession can and will continue to grow. And, mostly, I want to be a person that can help rekindle someone's passion the way the professors of the program have done for me.