Day 3 Recap at WATA 2023
Posted by [email protected] on May. 11, 2023 / Subscribe 0
WATA (Wisconsin Athletic Trainers' Association) holds its Annual Meeting & Symposium each year to bring together athletic trainers and professionals in the industry for continued education, networking, and sharing best practices.
Holly Schmies, PhD, LAT and Rhonda Verdegan, PhD, LAT have served as the Continuing Education Committee Co-Chairs, leading the organization of the symposium for years. However, after the conclusion of this year’s Annual Meeting and Symposium, April Gotzler, LAT and Jennifer Thorpe, PhD, LAT will take over as the new Continuing Education Committee Co-Chairs.
Ashley Rottier, Emily Anderson, and Becca Petro also contribute to the organization of the event as members of the Meeting Planning Committee. The team works tirelessly to ensure that every detail of the symposium is planned to perfection, including selecting speakers and coordinating the schedule.
This year's event took place over three days, and attendees had the opportunity to earn up to four continuing education credits (CEUs) by attending the four general sessions on the third day.
The presenters included:
During the symposium, the WATA also awarded scholarships to athletic training students. The Founding Fathers Scholarship was awarded to Taylor Thelen, the Mueller Professional Scholarship was awarded to Natalie Hamacher and Jordyn Schmid, and the Jeff Oliphant Scholarship was awarded to Joel Luedke.
In addition to the continuing education sessions, the WATA hosted a Research Reception, where the Research Committee judged student posters based on the quality of research or case study, conclusion accuracy, relevance to the profession, originality, and visual appeal. Katie Feller, Michael Hartman, and Taylor Vaughn were announced as the winners of the Student Poster Contest during the Business Meeting.
For the first time ever, the WATA Symposium also hosted a Job Fair, which brought together nine employers of athletic trainers from around Wisconsin to talk to job seekers about athletic training careers. Students enrolled in their first and second year of their athletic training programs, as well as certified professionals, attended the job fair.
Finally, the event concluded with the Quiz Bowl, where the team from UW-Oshkosh emerged as the winner. They won the opportunity to compete at the GLATA Quiz Bowl in 2024.
Overall, the WATA Annual Meeting & Symposium is an event that takes significant planning and effort to pull off, and the hard work of the organizers ensures that attendees leave with valuable knowledge, connections, and experiences.
0 Comments