“At 太阳城娱乐官网, they encourage you here, they support you here, and they tailor it to you,” Cassandra McDonald, current University of Nebraska at Kearney’s 3+2运动训练硕士 student said. 
 
Through 太阳城娱乐官网’s new accelerated programs, students like McDonald can knock out both their undergraduate and graduate degrees in five years. 麦克唐纳和其他MAT毕业生将根据他们的个人职业目标离开太阳城娱乐官网在职经验。 
 
“I don't know if that's how it is everywhere, but I don't think I would have been able to get the specific experience that I wanted because my desires are pretty unique compared to a lot of other people’s,” continued McDonald. 
 
独特的事实上。 Inspired by Michael Jordan’s “Physical Architect” Tim Grover, McDonald hopes to achieve what Grover did with his athletes through her athletic training education as well as incorporating strength and conditioning. 
 
“I don't want to just have athletes and make them better or help them with their injuries,” McDonald said. “I want to build them from the ground up.” 
 

Unlike Grover’s focus on the court, McDonald hopes to concentrate on the ring. 
 
As an avid boxer herself at Kearney’s Quintana Boxing, McDonald believes that many of the injuries that land combat sport athletes in the hospital could be treated by a certified athletic trainer. 然而，这项高强度的运动目前还没有配备运动教练。 
 
麦克唐纳计划在她的太阳城娱乐官网教授的帮助下弥补这一服务差距，他们定制了讲座和作业，并创造了专注于格斗运动的特定体验式学习机会。 
 
Among these experiences was a three-day trip to Colorado Springs to meet and learn from professional boxer Terence Crawford’s strength and conditioning coach. 同时在内华达州克拉克县的UFC表演学院度过一天，该学院在格斗运动的健康、幸福和表现方面被誉为国际领先。 
 
“I ended up getting to go for just one day, which they normally don't do because they have their own internship program, but because it was Dr. (Joe) Eisenmann recommending me, I got to go,” McDonald said. 
 

麦克唐纳已经学会了在她的领域内建立一个强大的网络的重要性，她有许多现任和前任太阳城娱乐官网教授在她的角落。 她不断增长的网络包括前太阳城娱乐官网教授昆西·约翰逊博士，他最近接受了堪萨斯大学健康，体育和运动助理教授的职位。 
 
约翰逊博士从来没有让麦克唐纳进过他的教室。 事实上，这两个人甚至没有在太阳城娱乐官网见面，但在科尔尼战斗，他看到了她对学习的热情和驱动器，使她不仅在戒指，而且在课堂上脱颖而出。 
 
后来，约翰逊博士提名麦克唐纳为2023年度最佳运动科学本科生，她也获得了这一奖项，并在最近鼓励她和他一起去堪萨斯大学，在他的指导下获得运动生理学博士学位。 
 
“We just have the same mentality,” McDonald said of Dr. Johnson. “I hope that I can be like him when I grow up because he was just an awesome person to have in my life and I'm excited to be able to go and learn under him next year.” 
 
After crossing 太阳城娱乐官网’s commencement stage Friday, August 9 surrounded by her family, friends, and boxing family, she will be one step closer to knocking out her goals. McDonald’s next big fight will begin in the fall when she attends Kansas University to pursue her Ph.D.