EKU Giving Day 2023 (4/19/23)!
I am reaching out to each of you as alumni of our athletic training program for several reasons. The first is to thank you for building a life of “giving” through your work, service and loyalty to EKU and our program. Athletic training is a service field, often without recognition or gratitude yet we serve to impact those around us regardless! I’m proud to represent the profession and more importantly EKU because I understand the opportunities that we create for our students and, by extension, the patients you have treated, are treating, and/or will be treating.
By now, most of you are aware that EKU is teaching the MS in AT program out with an anticipated end date of May 2024. I have been working with the administration through this over the last year and though there is no question that the closing of the program is disheartening and impacting, I need to be clear that athletic training at EKU is not finished. All faculty have been retained and our emphasis is being refocused. Professional education is essential in our field without a doubt, however, we believe there is a growing gap in how our students are prepared for that graduate/professional education. There is an ease in providing students with a space to get a degree, finish some pre-reqs and apply to professional programs without an emphasis on how that foundation is built. Faculty teach in graduate programs across the nation and our undergrads as a whole are being taught by faculty that are not clinicians in many cases. This is the space where we feel we can continue to advocate for the profession and impact the lives of students pursuing athletic training education and service to the populations they will serve. We have the framework established already and plan to build and expand on this to provide our undergraduate students more foundation in clinical knowledge and skills to give them a foundation of clinical practice going into their professional programs. We want to pursue opportunities with our students to explore traditional and emerging settings through travel and guest lectures. We want to explore opportunities to expand their expertise into areas of tactical and public service settings. We are excited about how we can continue to impact our field through an increased emphasis on preparation so that our students are sought after as those ready for success across all levels of professional education.
In doing this, we ask that you consider continuing to support EKU and our efforts. There are numerous monetary and non-monetary ways in which this can occur. First, please consider EKU and our BS in Exercise Science: Pre-Athletic Training concentration as a recommended avenue for students wanting to get into our field. Continue to show your pride in your education, the connections you made while here and the faculty that worked with you as you developed into the clinician/individual you are today. There are also numerous ways in which you can contribute to our efforts to support our students through scholarships (both the Mary Lloyd Ireland and Bobby Barton Endowed scholarships are still active and dedicated to athletic training) and donations to our development accounts. We recently established the “Athletic Training GreATest Needs Fund”. This is an account that is dedicated to our athletic training students to support student travel, engagement, and learning opportunities.
If you have the ability, please continue to support our constant efforts to advocate for our profession and educate the next generation of athletic trainers! If you choose to support these efforts by donating specifically to one of our athletic training specific funds, please use this link and click the “View All Giving Opportunities” button. You can then select whichever fund speaks to you the most. The three athletic training specific funds are: “Athletic Training GreATest Needs Fund”, “Barton Endowed Scholarship/Dr. Bobby”, and “Ireland Athletic Training Scholarship/Dr. Mary Lloyd”.
Contact Information
Matthew J Sabin
matthew.sabin@eku.edu
859-622-8149
Published on April 18, 2023