Faculty Feature: Alyssa Anderson
Dr. Alyssa Anderson BS ’12 is an associate professor of athletic training and the athletic training clinical education coordinator at ºÚÁϳԹÏ. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2022 and holds degrees in athletic training from ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï and Ohio University.
Anderson is a certified instructor of Mental Health First Aid. She is passionate about equipping students and professionals with the knowledge and tools needed for holistic patient care, particularly related to mental health. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Dave, and their dog, Sherlock.Ìý
What has it been like to experience North Park in so many different roles—as a child of alumni, a student, and an employee?
I grew up in Chicago, and my parents each worked at ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï at some point. They’re both alumni, and I’m now one myself. I’ve witnessed many changes in that time. What stands out to me most is the transition from North Park College to ºÚÁϳԹÏ. It was a prominent conversation topic in our household over dinner and when family members would come to visit.
North Park hasn’t only changed in name but in our student demographics, which has been exciting. We continue to learn how to best serve our student body, even as where they are from, their interests, and their faith traditions change over time. I appreciate that we adapt and try to be the best we can in the moment we find ourselves.
A colleague in my department is also a North Park alum. We’ve discussed how the North Park we teach at differs from the North Park we attended as students and how we enjoy that. For me, it represents the mosaic of the kingdom of God. I look out in my classroom, and so many of my students have different backgrounds from each other and me, but we come together to learn and grow.
I appreciate North Park’s commitment to helping students develop as whole human beings. We recognize faith is part of that, and students come from all faiths, no faiths, and various faith traditions. It’s incredible to see that interplay.Ìý
What skills or qualities do you focus on most when preparing students for athletic training careers?
Although my title is in athletic training, I also teach an undergraduate exercise science course, “Applied Musculoskeletal Anatomy.” Exercise science students primarily comprise it because it’s a required major class, but I’ve also had students from other majors interested in physical therapy, occupational therapy (OT), chiropractic, or athletic training. One of my objectives with the course is to prepare students for the real world. For example, one project requires describing a bodily movement they’ll encounter with a patient in their future careers.
A standout project was when a few pre-OT students considered how monkey bars, hopscotch, and pushing shopping carts are essential in childhood or daily living activities. They explored how much goes into these movements and how fascinating it is that the body makes it happen. Other students have examined resistance training, common lifting techniques, and sports motions like pitching, hitting a volleyball, or kicking a soccer ball. My goal is for students to consider how the content they’re learning will impact their future, personally and professionally.
In my role within the athletic training program, I maintain a similar focus on the transition to practice. Athletic training students must pass a board exam to become certified athletic trainers. While I teach the class that prepares them for that exam, my larger concern is ensuring they are prepared to step into their roles as healthcare providers. For example, I’ve scripted scenarios where students work at a camp and suspect a child has fractured their forearm. They need to call the emergency contact to arrange for the child to get X-rays. I’ve had them actually call a friend of mine, put them on speaker, and walk through the process of approaching a parent or guardian to calm them down, reassure them that their child is okay, and explain why they need a medical assessment.
When I graduated, I found that soft skills were the hardest to develop, so I aim to equip students with the tools to handle those situations well.
What clinical placements have been particularly impactful for students?
We’ve had a student intern with the Chicago Bulls, one with the Chicago Red Stars, another with the Chicago Sky, and multiple with independent baseball teams. These have been great experiences, but I’m most proud of our partnership with Chicago Public Schools (CPS).Ìý
Five years ago, approximately only six athletic trainers were serving CPS. Now, there are about 20. Last year alone, I placed six students within CPS to work with athletic trainers at high schools and stadiums. Several of those students who were placed in CPS last year took jobs with CPS this year.
A difference with CPS is that very few schools have their own athletic trainer because it’s such a large district. Additionally, there are regional stadiums that multiple teams share. We promoted equity and increased access by staffing those facilities with athletic training students, which embodies what ºÚÁÏ³Ô¹Ï is about: being city-centered, intercultural, and using Chicago as our classroom.
What are your hopes for your department? How do you see it evolving in the coming years?
The Division of Health Sciences is under the School of Nursing and Health Sciences and includes health science, exercise science, athletic training, and physical education.
We’re working on some curricular revisions, particularly about the skills we want students to acquire, how to best prepare them for healthcare careers, what our core classes should be, and what we should offer as electives. I’m eager to see how this takes shape across the division.
Every year, I tell our students that they are part of the change in providers better reflecting our patient population. It’s exciting to see our students better serve patients because they speak their native languages or have also navigated the healthcare system as uninsured or underinsured individuals. I hope we continue providing a safe place for students to learn and be prepared to enter the field and be part of the change.
What do you think folks would most want to know about your students?
Our students are fantastic. I genuinely believe they can change the world. Many receive financial aid and juggle multiple responsibilities, whether working, caretaking, driving family members to a doctor’s appointment, or picking up siblings from school. Many wouldn’t be able to attend if they didn’t have scholarships or grants, so I’m grateful for all the ways donors enable them to be in the classroom.