Grace Popham studied athletic training at the College of Charleston and is now the primary athletic trainer for field hockey and swimming/diving at Providence College in Rhode Island. Additionally, she manages the Fueling Station, health and nutrition initiative, for all student athletes at Providence.
What do you enjoy most about being a primary athletic trainer?
I enjoy the interaction with a high level of student athlete. The conference these athletes compete in, in addition to the high academics the school requires, makes it a very rewarding experience. I love watching these young adults work hard on and off the field. Providence is a very small campus, so during breaks I like to walk around and often run into athletes from a variety of teams, who always great you with a smile or a wave.
I enjoy the travel associated with my teams, this past year I went to Puerto Rico with swim and Barcelona with field hockey, both for training. It is very cool to experience that with the teams and to get to know each student athlete individually.
Additionally, I enjoy that I can use both of my degrees regularly. It has been fun working directly with our team nutritionist to provide the best products for our student athletes and to help educate them on why they are consuming the products.
How do you feel the College of Charleston helped prepare you for your career?
The College of Charleston directly prepared me for passing my board exam through course work, clinical internships, and one-on-one experiences with clinical instructors and professors. In 2014, I worked with volleyball and women’s lacrosse at Bryant University as a post grad intern. That year helped me gain further experience in my field and allowed me to gain qualifications for a graduate assistantship at Stony Brook University. I graduated in 2017 with my master’s degree in nutrition while working with the volleyball, football and women’s soccer teams.
What advice do you have for undergraduate students at the College of Charleston?
I hope they value the time they have. I encourage them to pursue internship opportunities and to work the extra hours after. Students should get to know their professors because they are well connected and have excellent reputations.
Finally, don’t get down on yourself if you don’t get the dream job right away. A lot of work goes into getting to where you want to be. Each job and internship are an experiences, good or bad, which help you decide how you want to or don’t want to work.
