Profile: Head Athletic Trainer
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Megan Van Cleave
Employer: Concordia University Texas

Position description:
I provide the medical care for all of the student athletes at Concordia University Texas.

Photo: Megan Van Cleave
How They Got There

Undergrad Degree:  Athletic Training

Favorite Class in College:  Sociology

Graduate Degree:  Kinesiology

College To Career:  My undergraduate degree was the basis for my job today. My undergradute work was where I learned all of the skills it takes to be an athletic trainer. The skills that I learned allowed me to get a graduate assistant athletic training position at a Division I University while I worked on my master's degree. By pursuing a graduate assistant position it paid for my master's degree and I gained two years of professional experience surrounded by knowledgeable peers.

After graduating with my master's degree and having worked at a Division I institution, I had gained enough substantial experience to become a head athletic trainer at the age of 25.

Career Influences:  When I was in high school I was an athlete, but my school did not have an athletic trainer. When I watched sports I always thought it would be cool to be the person taping everyones ankles. I decided that I wanted a job that was going to help people but I wanted to stay in the athletic realm. This allows me the best of both worlds.

The Ups and Downs
Pros: Working with young, healthy athletes who want to get better. Every day is something different. My career field is constantly changing and there is something new to learn every day. I work with a very diverse group of people.

Cons: Extremely long days and working most weekends. The pay is not comperable to what you do.

Recommendations
Work hard in classes to learn whatever you can. You never know when something you learned in your freshman psychology class is going to come in handy.

Interested in this Career?