Pictured from the left are MSAT graduates McKenna Lorton, Corbin Shatto-Craft, Luke Watson, Danielle Kmucha and Andrea Edmisten.
Wilmington College’s cohort of soon-to-be Master of Science in Athletic Training graduates got a taste of what they’ll be doing soon as certified athletic trainers. Each engaged in culminating, semester-long, clinical experiences ranging from working with a professional sports team’s medical staff to athletic training work at high schools and universities.
Andrea Edmisten, Danielle Kmucha, McKenna Lorton, Corbin Shatto-Craft and Luke Watson will receive their graduate stoles at the College’s 148th Commencement on May 11. All five earned their bachelor’s degrees from Wilmington College several years ago.
Jennifer Walker, associate professor of athletic training, said the immersive clinical experience provides the students with a hands-on athletic training experience in a setting of their choice, noting it’s the perfect capstone that complements previous classroom and field experiences.
“They can utilize their classroom and clinical knowledge with patients on a full-time, regular, daily basis, which allows them to experience treatment progression and continuity of care,” Walker said. “Remaining in the same athletic training setting for a full semester brings a sense of culmination and fulfillment to the future healthcare practitioner."
Danielle Kmucha worked with the Columbus Crew and would like to eventually return as a certified athletic trainer with a professional soccer team.
Kmucha’s immersive experience was with the 2023 Major League Soccer Champion Columbus Crew. She worked on a medical staff that included 2010 WC alumnus Daniel Givens, assistant athletic trainer. She often worked with the Crews’ second team and academy teams, setting up the field for training, taping and treating players. Kmucha also worked stretcher crew for home games.
“I have seen a connection between my class work, my previous clinical rotations and my immersive experience with the Crew,” she said, “I’m a hands-on learner so it is pretty cool to put our lectures into real-life situations that we are going to be dealing with when we are certified athletic trainers. It — 100 percent — has closed the loop between our hands-on experience in the classroom to my immersive experience.”
Kmucha hopes to start her athletic training career at a high school or college to gain the experience required to return to a professional soccer setting.
Shatto-Craft spent the semester with two South Carolina schools, Wofford College, where he worked with the baseball team, and Spartanburg Community College, where he engaged primarily with baseball but also assisted with men’s basketball and women’s soccer.
He administered manual therapy or used modalities to help athletes recover from injuries. “The kind of therapeutic modalities that I used are ultrasounds, laser therapy, cupping, underwater treadmill and instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilizations,” he said. “I helped athletes doing rehab for injuries and athletes trying to stay on top of their bodies, so they do not become injured.”
Shatto-Craft sees his classroom studies as providing the foundation of knowledge certified ATs apply in real-world applications, while his hours and hours of field and clinical experience provided insight into how certified athletic trainers problem-solve in a multitude of situations. “This immersive experience closes the loop by allowing me to have more freedom to make choices on what athletes need while also giving me a better idea of what I want my future in the field to be,”
Corbin Shatto-Craft engaged in his immersive clinical experience at two South Carolina schools, Wofford College and Spartanburg Community College.
Shatto-Craft plans to get more experience under his belt with plans to ultimately work with a collegiate baseball team.
Edmisten worked at Bethel University in Mishawaka, IN, which offered a contrasting overall campus environment after spending all these years at WC. There, she observed professional staff and had opportunities to perform AT skills for several months.
“I was able to improve on skills I have attended, learn new skills and experience other aspects of the job that I have not been a part of before,” she said. “My experience hours at Wilmington College helped prepare me for my extended time at Bethel. I have been able to experience things that were discussed in the classroom and expand on those topics with the knowledge I have gained through experience.”
Edmisten initially plans to work in a high school setting before perhaps returning to the collegiate ranks to practice her profession. “I want to assist athletes in staying healthy while participating in the sports they love,” she added.
Andrea Edmisten works with a student-athlete at Bethel University.
Watson’s immersive clinical experience was at Wilmington High School, where he worked closely with athletes in injury prevention and rehabilitation while also communicating status reports with coaches and school administration.
“In the classroom, we always talk about possible scenarios that we could see in the field. We learn how to be prepared for each situation,” he said. “When we are hands-on, we use the knowledge that we learned in the classroom and apply it to real-world situations. Some things we see with hands-on experience simply cannot be taught in the classroom, which is why it is important that we gain both the essential classroom knowledge and experience in the field.”
Watson plans to work in a high school setting, “where I can be a positive influence for younger generations and even guide future athletic trainers into the profession,” he said. “I want to build myself into a community and establish long-term relationships with coaches, parents and colleagues.”
Lorton conducted her immersive experience at East Central High School in Leon, IN., where she covered a variety of sports: boys’ and girls’ basketball, swimming/diving, wrestling, track and field, baseball, softball and tennis.
“I also did evaluations, administrative work, referrals to the team physician and a variety of other tasks that an athletic trainer will have to do once they get into the field,” Lorton said, noting she applied what she learned in the classroom and from other certified athletic trainers in the high school setting.
“This created a learning environment for all involved as we were able to bounce ideas off each other and talk about different treatments for our student-athletes,” she added. “I applied everything I learned day in and day out and learned new things along the way. I also applied some skills that are hard to apply in a classroom setting, such as purchasing supplies, creating rehabilitation plans for injuries and updating them as they progress.”
McKenna Lorton, who is pictured with Beacon Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine's Kyle Hendricks, had her immersive clinical experience at East Central High School in Leon, IN., where she covered a variety of sports: boys’ and girls’ sports.
Lorton appreciated the opportunity to work with many spots. She’d like to work in a larger high school setting where she again would be involved with a variety of sports. “I want to be able to watch kids grow and flourish into young adults.”
Soon after the cohort started its pursuit of MSAT degrees in the fall of 2022, the College announced it would discontinue its accredited Master of Science in Athletic Training program following their graduation in May 2024 and continue only on the undergraduate level with a pre-athletic training curriculum in the exercise science area.
The five graduate students stuck together on what undoubtedly was a roller coaster ride of emotions. They overcame the initial uncertainty and rallied together with their AT faculty and staff to emerge triumphant this spring.
“I could not have done it without the four other students in my class,” Lorton said. “The five of us were able to create a unique bond that will take us into the next stages of life — I can’t wait to see what they do and accomplish over the years!”
Watson thanks his professors for their dedication — “They never gave up on us!” — and his classmates for making the program a “great learning opportunity and fun and memorable experience.” Shatto-Craft was impressed by how he and his classmates weathered the “bumps in the road” and came together in support of one another. “Those situations made the five of us have a strong bond,” he added. “We worked together so that nobody fell behind or felt like they were all alone.”
Kmucha said the “roller coaster of emotions and experiences” served to make the group “stronger and closer” as classmates. “Most of us went into this program not knowing much about each other, but two years later we are coming out as a family with friendships that will last forever. I wouldn’t have made it to graduation this spring without them.”
Edmisten added, “My professors have been by my side throughout this entire process and helped me become the person I am today. They supported me when times were really difficult and have been my biggest cheerleaders during my successes. The most satisfying ending to this chapter of my life will be walking at graduation!”