Kaitlyn Bjelko earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical science and psychology from SUNY Plattsburgh. She originally planned to become a psychiatrist. However, her perspective changed a bit after playing sports from high school to college, where she experienced firsthand the support of athletic trainers with her injuries. She was inspired by their deep commitment to recovery and their genuine passion for helping athletes heal, which motivated her to become an athletic trainer.
“Brockport stood out because of its comprehensive curriculum and the positive reputation of its Kinesiology, Sport Studies & Physical Education Department. During my interview with the Brockport [Athletic Training] professors, it was clear to me that they were enthusiastic about the program, and it made me feel like Brockport was the right fit for me,” she said.
Her most memorable accomplishment in her academic career has been working with the Brockport Athletic Training program on concussion protocols, where she assisted with interpreting and analyzing data. While the research is not yet published, this is what Kaitlyn can tell us so far:
“The basic premise is looking into how athletes can return to learn after a concussion and what resources are available to help them navigate returning to the classroom. This will help others understand more about concussions and how to help athletes be successful.”
Kaitlyn explains that having the opportunity to do this impactful research helped really solidify her goal to support athletes during their recovery process and set them up for long-term success. While she already had a passion for helping others, Brockport has helped her fine-tune what direction she wants to take that in. She has been in these athletes’ positions herself, giving her a level of understanding and empathy for this career. She added that being able to do this really pushed her to grow her research skills as well.
“Whether further education or clinical practice is in my future, I have established my passion for research. I plan to pursue opportunities that allow me to either generate new evidence and/or integrate evidence-based practice to improve athlete health,” she said.
Being an athletic trainer is hard work with long hours, but Kaitlyn knows that the impact she has on athletes at the end of each day is transformative. The gratification of seeing an injured athlete recover under your care contributes to her passion for the work.
Her advice for someone interested in the field is to seek out learning opportunities is to “… pursue hands-on experiences, ask questions, and take advantage of every chance to learn. As much as this field is challenging, it is equally rewarding,” she said.
Learn more about our Athletic Training (MS) program.