Kathleen Terza May ’12, ’14 wanted to pursue an athletic training degree at ĻӰ because she knew that Shenandoah had the top entry-level program in the county. May feels that Shenandoah is truly is the best university out there. “Going through both the bachelor’s and master’s programs, all of my professors were amazing to work with,” said May. “All were approachable and would work with my schedules to accommodate being a student-athlete and participating in internships.” May’s fondest memory at Shenandoah was playing on the women’s soccer team under head coach Elizabeth “Liz” Pike, assistant coach Jim Rike and the supporting staff. May remembers being the first women’s soccer team to win the USA South Conference back in 2011, and also being the first team from the program to go to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament. “Unfortunately, we lost in the first round 1-0 to Rowan, but it is something I will never forget, being a part of Shenandoah Women’s Soccer history,” said May.
May is an athletic trainer at Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Virginia, and provides on-site care for athletes who have sustained injuries. She handles anything from prevention programs, postsurgical rehabilitation to the handling of on-site acute injuries. Prior to her current position, she was an athletic trainer at in Washington, D.C. The most rewarding experience of May’s career has been helping student-athletes get back to playing their sport after sustaining an injury. Without the training and education May received at Shenandoah, she wouldn’t be where she is today. “Since I first got my Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology, it better prepared me for going into my Master of Science degree in athletic training at Shenandoah,” said May “Everything I learned in my master’s program prepared me to be the best athletic trainer I could be in providing the best care for my student-athletes.” May will always be thankful for and remember the professors that helped her on her journey to becoming the athletic trainer she is today.
May’s advice to students is: “Being an athletic trainer has wonderful pros and cons to it. Be prepared for what kind of setting you would like to be in, and make sure that this is something you will love doing. Becoming an athletic trainer, I have never looked back on choosing this career and I love every minute of it! There are things you think you would choose to do, but end up somewhere entirely different. Coming out of Shenandoah, I thought I would be working in the high school setting, but I ended up working in a collegiate setting where I had to learn a whole new language, ASL, in order to help my student-athletes. I was nervous at first, but I am so glad I took the plunge. I love where I am now and it has helped me to become a better AT to break through barriers and not stay comfortable with just the knowledge learned in the program. Always keep moving forward and do not settle for comfortability. ”