WHEELING, W.Va. -- Wheeling Jesuit sophomore, Sara Buckley is one of 10 students nationwide to be selected as a student representative to the National Athletic Trainers Student Committee (NATSC).

Buckley is the first-ever Wheeling Jesuit student to receive this honor. She was chosen based on her application essay, interview, and overall academic performance. Buckley will now travel to Las Vegas to attend the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) annual conference on June 24th. She also will work year round with other representatives to help plan NATA functions such as marketing campaigns, scholarship competitions, and scheduling guest speakers. She will represent NATA District 3, which is comprised of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., North Carolina and South Carolina.

The NATSC is a branch of the NATA that provides students with a chance to be heard across the athletic training community. The organization promotes further athletic training education, volunteer work and taking stands on student issues.

“I was nervous while waiting to hear if I was selected or not. I was told that they would contact me by the Monday after Easter if I was chosen, but it ended up being a week after that. So I thought they chose someone else. When they finally called, I was extremely excited.” Buckley said of her wait to hear from the district coordinator. “It is very flattering to be selected, especially at such a young age.”

Buckley is a year younger than the juniors that are typically chosen for this position. She believes this will allow her to be more committed to the organization, because she will have an extra year to work with the NATA and will have a chance to run for the chair of the committee next year.

Dave Dennis, director of WJU’s Athletic Training program, said, “It is a great honor for our program to have Sara selected as the student representative for the Mid-Atlantic District. For being a fairly new program, we are very fortunate to have a student receive such an honor.”

He added, “I have full confidence that Sara will represent Wheeling Jesuit and District 3 to the best of her abilities. She will be the voice to the National Athletic Trainers Association for all athletic training students over a five-state radius. This is a very exciting opportunity for Sara and provides national exposure for our program."

Buckley also credits the Jesuit principle of “men and women for others” for helping her break out of her comfort zone to apply for the position. “The ideals that I have learned at Jesuit helped to prepare me for this role. They boosted my confidence and helped me break out of my shell. I want to be able to help others, and as a representative my work will have an impact on students from my district and throughout the United States,” she explained.

Sara is the daughter of Larry Buckley, WJU class of 1984, and Julie Buckley of Austin, Texas. She is also a member of the WJU women’s lacrosse team, Laut Honors Program and the Athletic Training Club.



For information on Wheeling Jesuit’s Athletic Training Program visit http://www.wju.edu/academics/at/