WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Dec. 25, 2015 — Before heading home for the holidays, West Liberty University students who are members of the Athletic Training Club practiced a little giving back to the community.
“The students organized a charity event for those in need and invited the public to bring new toys and winter gifts to campus throughout December and place them under the big Christmas tree displayed on the second floor of the Academic, Sports and Recreation Complex (ASRC),” explained Hannah Harnar. The gifts were donated to the YWCA, the House of Carpenter and the Laughlin Memorial Chapel.
Harnar is a fulltime faculty member in the Athletic Training department, now in her third year at WLU. She also is co-advisor for the club. Clinical Instructor and Athletic Trainer Amber Helphenstine is the other advisor.
The AT Club performs outreach to the campus and the community in ways that help the college students learn skills that will be useful to them in their careers. Club members include President Alissa Quiroz, Bellaire, Ohio; Vice President Kelsey Hardman, Wheeling, W.Va.; Treasurer Taylor Ammons, Washington, Pa.; Secretary Abby Collins, Bethesda, Ohio.
“Christmas should be a time of happiness and enjoyment. Donations like this really help families who may be experiencing hard times due to domestic violence during the holiday,” stated Patricia Flanigan, program director for Wheeling’s YWCA Family Violence Prevention Program and one of the recipients of the gifts.
“This was an opportunity for the club to get involved and to learn about the supportive services provided by the YWCA Wheeling. We wanted to help those who otherwise are unable to provide their children with gifts this Christmas,” said Quiroz. It was the first time the club did a holiday gift drive.
“We are pleased to perform service to help our community. At the same time, we get our name out. Athletic Training is a new program at WLU so this type of networking is helpful. We want to educate the public on just what the profession is and what we do. Another goal the club has is to raise money for our students and help offset the cost of their upcoming board exams which are about $400 a pop,” Harnar said.
The Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (accrediting body recognized by the Council of Higher Education) visits campus at the end January 2016. Dr. David Hanna is the director of WLU’s AT program and he’s looking forward to visit.
May 2016 will see the inaugural class graduate with the new Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training degree. The graduates will go on to work in schools, clinics, athletic departments and other professional settings.
For more information on the program, please contact Hanna at 304-336-8547 or david.hanna@westliberty.edu.
West Liberty University is a forward-looking, four-year public university steeped in a rich heritage as West Virginia’s oldest institution of higher education. Five colleges and a School of Professional Studies offer more than 60 majors and 30 programs that are nationally recognized or accredited. Graduate programs include the Master of Arts in Education, the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies and the Master of Professional Studies degrees. For more information on WLU, please call 1.866.WESTLIB or visit westliberty.edu.