A recent scholarship winner in the kinesiology program is weighing her options in a department that sees 100 percent of its students land careers.

UCM senior Winnie Wilson is among three students in the program to win a scholarship this year. She was awarded the $1,500 Paul DeMartinis scholarship by the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society earlier this semester. The scholarship is in memory of DeMartinis, a sports medicine salesman who died in 2015.

“I didn’t know much about athletic training before college, but decided I wanted to go into the field pretty quick after I arrived,” Wilson said.

Wilson has been in the athletic training program at UCM for two years since transferring from Park University and is originally from Kansas City, Missouri. Program Director Brian Hughes has worked with Wilson since she started in the program and said her level of professional engagement led to winning this scholarship.

“She’s a very determined and driven young lady that works incredibly hard,” Hughes said. “She will be at every activity and meeting she can.”

The athletic training program currently boasts a 100 percent job placement for their graduates. Hughes attributes this to the experience students receive while working toward their degree.

“Our students work with the athletic teams on campus throughout their seasons,” Hughes said. “They perform physicals, input medical records and work with athletes during practices and games. They’re completely immersed in the world of athletic training.”

Wilson said she has plenty of options following her graduation later this year. She said the athletic training department could hire her as a graduate assistant or she could pursue an opportunity working in a new environment.

Hughes said he and Wilson have talked about some options.

“She’s kicked around the idea of going straight into the workforce and has also considered working here as a graduate assistant,” Hughes said. “I would definitely take her as a grad assistant, but we like to kick our graduates out of the nest so they can experience the real world.”

Wilson will be able to put this scholarship on her resume, which Hughes said carries a lot of weight.

“It’s a big deal and it carries a lot of weight for the students who earn these scholarships,” Hughes said. “Being awarded a scholarship named after a prominent person in our field goes a long way with potential employers,” Hughes said. “They’ll recognize that.”

Wilson will walk at graduation in May but will have to come back and take one class over the summer to complete her degree. After that, she has plenty of options.

“I don’t know exactly what my future holds, but I don’t think it will matter where I end up as long as I’m working in athletic training,” Wilson said.