Setting the Bar

Central College student athletic trainers get to do a lot of cool things—helping out with athletes, attending practices and getting hands-on experience. But one athletic training major took her experience to the next level and landed an internship with the Auburn University gymnastics team. Junior Katelyn Paul set some lofty goals, and she is accomplishing them at every turn.

The Maquoketa native loves sports and helping others, so an athletic training major was right up her alley. At Auburn, Paul worked with gymnasts that came into the athletic training room. And when there weren’t any gymnasts, she treated athletes in softball, swimming and diving, as well as equestrian. Paul’s training at Central prepared her for the demanding lifestyle of athletic trainer.

“Central’s Athletic Training Education Program has prepared me in every way for this internship!” she says. “The best part of being an athletic trainer is working with people and trying to help them feel better. Nothing is better than someone else finally healing and knowing you have helped them get there.”

After wrapping up this internship, Paul has big plans for the summer. She left for Cape Canaveral, Fla. in April, where she is interning for the Kennedy Space Center RehabWorks for seven weeks. Once she is finished there, Paul will head up the coast to Boston, Mass. and work at the MB Nike Sports Camp for the second year in a row.

“I am so excited to work at NASA and gain a new experience by working with the 20-70 age range rather than athletes,” Paul says. “And the Nike camp was a wonderful experience, and I can’t wait to do it again!”