“If I chose to go into nursing, then I would just become a fan.”
This is what Megan Sullenberger said when she was discussing the dilemma she faced when she chose her career path. While Liberty’s various sports teams practice or play games, Sullenberger can be found either on the sidelines or in the training rooms, providing pre- or post-activity prep and medical assistance when needed. For the past two years, Megan has been a part of DACC’s Health Technology and Nursing program. It was just less than two years ago when she realized that she wanted to go down a different path than she originally intended, leading her to take up opportunities working with the school and looking forward to a different version of her future ahead.
THE CLASS
In Megan’s junior year, she started participating in the DACC (Delaware Area Career Center) program Health Technology and Nursing. This program is split into parts depending on the year (first or second) and what choices the student makes. The first year is spent in a classroom setting, where students study medical terminology and prepare for their State Tested Nursing Aide credential. In the first half of the second year, students test for the state nursing aide credential and go on to learn the basics of phlebotomy (blood drawing). By the end of winter break, the student would make a choice, the first of which is to stay with phlebotomy classes and earn the Phlebotomy Technician certification. The second is work-based learning, which Megan describes as a “job placement, internship, or volunteering opportunity that aligns with your program.”
THE DECISION
When Megan reached this decision, she had already figured out that nursing wasn’t where she wanted to go. She still wanted to pursue healthcare, but Megan felt that she was leaving a part of her life behind by doing so. “I’ve always loved being a part of sports, whether it was playing, watching, or officiating,” Sullenberger said. “If I chose to go into nursing, then I would just become a fan.” This realization led her to use her current knowledge and resources to pursue athletic training.
Ultimately, Megan chose to do work-based learning for the rest of her senior year. Now, she spends six hours a week shadowing Liberty’s athletic training team, helping out Liberty’s sports teams on a day-to-day basis. As an athlete herself, Sullenberger has been on the receiving end of the assistance provided by the athletic training staff. “They’re just phenomenal,” she said. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity that the trainers here have given me because it’s essentially the perfect fit for me.”
During the football season, Megan stayed on the sidelines in case there was need for medical assistance, and helped athletes prep before and after the games. ”I like how the change of pace keeps me on my toes,” Sullenberger said. “I never know what we’re gonna need to do until I’m there.” While she appreciates the change of pace from nursing, Sullenberger is still a student of medicine through and through. “The human body fascinates me,” she said. “all the little quirks about how the body and muscles work… I could talk for hours about it. Athletic training is like studying that, but in a high performing individual.”
Looking back, Megan appreciates the connections that her program has given her. “Some of the biggest things from the program for me are the people. My instructor is the best person ever,” she said. “The difference with DACC is that they’ve had that job before they decided to teach it, so it’s a different level of passion.” This appreciation extends to her fellow classmates and the DACC program’s outreach. “I have made some of my best friends in that class [..] that I would never have met if not for the class,” she said.
THE FUTURE
Megan is pursuing her undergraduate education at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, where she will major in Kinesiology. At UT, sport studies is a graduate program, so Megan plans to study that after her first four years. “I picked Tennessee because it’s a big SEC school with a very large sports presence, and there’s opportunities to work with their sports teams as early as freshman year,” Megan said. Her dream job is to work with the NHL someday, and combine her love for her work with her love of hockey.
