SLU AT Student Finds a Welcoming Community in a Busy Clinical Site at Marquette HS

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Marquette High School

By: Brittany Risko (MAT Class of 2022)

This semester I have the wonderful opportunity to be placed at Marquette High School with preceptor Mercy Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer Mathew Petersen ATC. This semester has been flying by pretty quick so far! Marquette has been very welcoming and excited to have another member to their community. 

I have learned how to manage more athletes in a shorter amount of time. Marquette has a little over 2,000 students this is a much larger population than my previous clinical placement. It has been a lot of adaptation and learning how to manage all the athletes and get them in and out to fields to practice in an efficient matter. 

I am gaining so much new knowledge as well as refreshing concepts from Mathew. Through observing evaluation, assisting in evaluation and doing evaluations myself I am gaining invaluable experience so far at Marquette. 

I look forward to the rest of the year with the community and working with their athletes.  

This is one of a series of posts by the Saint Louis University Athletic Training students featuring their clinical site and their preceptors. The number, quality and diversity of clinical instruction are major assets for the SLU AT Program.

SLU AT Students Enjoy Welcoming Clinical Learning Environment at Westminster Christian Academy

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Westminster Christian Academy

By: Jose Blanco (MAT Class of 2021) and Brittany Risko (MAT Class of 2022)

This semester we have had the excellent opportunity of doing our clinical education together at Westminster Christian Academy. We have the pleasure of learning from Katherine Love, MAT, ATC, a SLU alum who works for Mercy Sports Medicine, and so far we have enjoyed our time here at Westminster. Westminster boasts high quality facilities, numerous sports and a welcoming community. Due to the sheer size of the campus we see a volume of athletes seeking help whether with prevention, rehab, or just to chat making the experience all the better. The staff are friendly, and the athletes are respectful and fun to be around. 

This semester Jose started with Brittany who had been at Westminster in the fall. This spring we have managed to become a good team and work efficiently every day. So far, this is the semester that Jose feels that he has learned the most and it has only been half of it. He is looking forward to keep learning for the rest of this semester through graduation. Being in her second semester at Westminster Christian Academy Brittany has enjoyed continuing her clinical education here. It is crazy that the spring semester is already halfway over. She has had a great time working with Jose and bringing him into the Westminster Community. 

Westminster and Katherine this semester have afforded some great opportunities. We have seen the women’s and men’s varsity basketball teams win the district champions this year and I had the opportunity to travel to the state championships with our men’s basketball team in Springfield MO where they placed 2nd at the State Championship. 

In all Westminster Christian Academy and Katherine have provide a great atmosphere for our clinical education. The faculty, students, athletes, and community together are supportive and provide plenty of opportunities to learn inside and outside of athletic training. 

This is one of a series of posts by the Saint Louis University Athletic Training students featuring their clinical site and their preceptors. The number, quality and diversity of clinical instruction are major assets for the SLU AT Program.

SLU AT Student Appreciates Support from Preceptor and Community at Westminster Christian Academy

SLU AT Clinical Site Spotlight - Westminster Christian Academy

By: Brittany Risko (MAT Class of 2022)

This fall semester so far, we have conquered so many things as a program, college, and university. I have had the opportunity this fall semester to participate in my first clinical experience in the SLU AT Program. I am thankful to have been placed at Westminster Christian Academy with Katherine Love, MAT, ATC, who works for Mercy Sports Medicine and is a graduate from SLU’s AT Graduate Program. It has been a great experience so far! We had a slow start at first due to only practices being held and the restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 Pandemic however, I liked being able to get the know the athletes and faculty better before heading into games. 

Katherine is a great preceptor I have learned a lot of skills professionally from her. She has a lot of knowledge to offer and is always there to answer questions. I am starting to get a lot more hands on in my experience with the help of Katherine pushing me to just try things out because it’s better to try and mess up a few times so that she can help teach me how to do it right or guide me in the right direction so that the next time that something similar arises I have the skills to take care of it. I have enjoyed the challenges that she gives me so that I can grow more confident in my skills and abilities as a student athletic trainer.  

The WCA community has been very welcoming with my service dog Penelope as well. Penelope has also had a great time working in her first clinical setting. Penelope’s favorite things include riding in the gator, waiting patiently for an ice cube out of the ice machine, and playing with the football players while they wait to get taped. One of Penelope’s best skill so far in her clinical experience is finding Katherine in the AT room. Overall, Penelope is having a pawesome time as well at Westminster Christian Academy. 

This is one of a series of posts by the Saint Louis University Athletic Training students featuring their clinical site and their preceptors. The number, quality and diversity of clinical instruction are major assets for the SLU AT Program.