Athletic Training Student to Receive National Award

A Hardin-Simmons University student from Early, 德州, is one of just 34 entry-level students nationwide who has been chosen to receive the NATA Foundation Scholarship from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Research & Education Foundation. Kayla Dickerson, a junior in athletic training, picked up the coveted award, which is sponsored by the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine.

David Stuckey, associate professor of fitness and sport sciences, head of the department, and the director of the athletic training program, 说, “This is significant for Kayla and for our program. The scholarship is one of only 34 scholarships awarded to undergraduates by the NATAREF. Kayla is the third HSU student to be awarded an NATAREF scholarship.”

In addition to being an AT major, Dickerson is also an Honors Program minor. 

The athletic training major was started at HSU in 1999. Stuckey 说 HSU is one of only 16 athletic trainer programs in 德州 that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. “Being accredited is what allows students who graduate from the HSU program to be eligible for national certification,” 说 Stuckey, “allowing them to work in any state.

“We typically have about 20 to 25 students in the program each year, and 100% of them can get a job in the field,” he 说.