Training Day

Rayah Rodriguez was part of the first Institute of Health Science scrub ceremony in October 2024, one of the “pioneers” of the institute’s real-world opportunities.

As an elite sprinter for the Oaks Christian track and field program, she’s always had an interest in the physical therapy space.

“As an athlete you kind of get used to just hanging out in the training room,” Rodriguez said. “It made me want to pursue the field of PT.”

Rodriguez and six of her peers are once again pioneers on campus. They’re part of the newly established athletic training internship program, a senior capstone project for the Institute for Health Science.

“This program has meant a lot to me because I get to spend a lot of time with Dr. Stephanie Hong,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve gotten to see what she does in the training room and then follow up with her and learn why she does it that way.”

Overseen by Dr. Bryan Wong and Dr. Hong, the seven seniors were selected after extensive testing and completion of Introduction to Health Science, and a Sports Medicine Injuries course. The application process is set up to ensure the interns can engage with the student-athletes in real world athletic scenarios.

“I’m excited that the bulk of these interns are athletes because they really understand what it takes to stay on the field and they’re able to assist and extend our coverage,” Dr. Wong said. “I’ve heard great stories from our students about things they’ve learned over the course of the internship.”

Part of those responsibilities include taping wrists and ankles for competition. It’s a task every athlete has seen Dr. Hong and Wade Anderson do a thousand times in the training room.

“They make taping look so easy,” Rodriguez said. “But then we try and do it and you realize quickly that it isn’t as easy as they make it look. It’s impressive to see how much effort it takes to do something that they make look so easy.”

Joining Rodriguez as the first group of interns are Chase Jenkins, Terrianna Kelley, and Paris McClain, Alan Li, Ella Pfeiffer, and Kiah Wong, who have all started roaming sidelines at home contests this spring. 

For Dr. Hong, her goal is to help the interns discover if this is truly something they want to pursue while they prepare to attend college.

“It’s my hope that our students come out of this internship program with an understanding of what it takes to work in the physical therapy or athletic training environment,” Dr. Hong said. “This program is an opportunity for students to experience what it’s like to manage a sideline and work within a training room. It’s not always glamourous, but it’s always interesting.”