*Applications for this program are accepted every two years

Background:                          
The concept of “Pay it Forward” or “Paying it Forward” is derived from a 1951 Robert A. Heinlen novel. Wikipedia defines this concept as “repaying he good deeds one has received by doing good things for other unrelated people.”

Purpose:                               
To provide membership incentive grants for ethnically diverse young professionals who enter employment and subsequently remain within the NATA District 2 service area. This grant is also designed to identify a pool of ethnically diverse professionals who, in the future, could assume leadership roles and responsibilities within District 2 and the NATA.

Justification:                         
Ethnic diversity within the NATA District 2 membership is currently meager at best, and diversity within the District 2 leadership is nonexistent. Our current approach to enhancing diversity within the district’s membership is apparently inadequate. This grant is one step toward modifying the district’s approach to enhancing ethnic diversity with minimal expenditure. 

Number of Grants:              
Two grants with the grant lasting for 2 concurrent years. Each winner will have their NATA dues paid for by the district. If a recipient moves out of District 2 and/or ceases employment without regaining employment within District 2, the recipient forfeits any successive year’s grant.

Application Deadline:   
All required documents are due by October 15th. 

Send Application To:
Barima Yeboah, EDAC D2 Representative (barima@gmail.com)

Requirements:    

1. Be a recent graduate (within a 1.5 calendar years) of an undergraduate or graduate program

2. Be ethnically diverse as identified by the current NATA demographic data/studies

3. Have graduated with a GPA of 3.0 or greater and passed the BOC exam

4. Be a current  NATA member within District 2

5. Be willing to seek involvement within the association’s committees at state, district, or national level

6. Be willing to be mentored for leadership roles

7. Submit two letters of support, via e-mail, which address applicants leadership potential.

8. Submit an essay indicating how this grant will benefit you as well as District 2. The essay should be no greater than 500 words.

9. Application must be postmarked by the Oct. 15th deadline

10. Include a certified copy of your final college/university transcript

Download Application (D2 members only)

Past Recipients

2020-2021
Aaron Jackson (PA)

2018-2019
Joshua Honrado (NJ)
Jasmin Lalin (PA)

2016-2017
Kim Garcia (NY)
Tiffany Yam (NJ)

2014-2015
Dianneliz Garcia-Gonzalez (DE)
Johnny Rodriguez (NJ)

2012-2013
Nadine Brooks (NY)
LaTonja Lee (NY)

2009-2010
Melanee Johnson (NJ)

The District Two James Thornton Leadership Scholarship was established to recognize a deserving athletic training student with exceptional leadership skills and service to the profession.  This scholarship honors James L. Thornton the 14th NATA District Two Director and the 12th President of the NATA. The recipient will be awarded a $2500.00 scholarship that will be presented during the District Two Business Meeting at the NATA Clinical Symposia and AT Expo in June.

Criteria

Applicant must:

1. Be a District Two Member in good standing, whose primary NATA address is located within the district. The recipient must also be a NATA member in good standing when accepting the award in June.

2. Have an NPI number

3. Be enrolled in a CAATE approved graduate or undergraduate program or pursuing graduate degree in the profession the following year.

4. Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.00 scale

5. Be involved in local, state, district, or national athletic training activities.

6. Provide two letters of Recommendation: A) One from an Athletic Training Preceptor, B) One from an Athletic Trainer addressing the applicant’s outstanding involvement in the profession.

7. Intend to pursue the profession of athletic training as a career.

8. No more than a 500 word Essay on how your leadership roles have prepared you for life after graduation.

Application Requirements

1. Completed Application

2. Resume

3. Two letters of recommendation noted above

4. Complete essay

5. Completed applications must be received electronically by 11:59pm EST March 1st.

All Documents should be emailed to the District Two Director at director@natad2.org

The winner will be contacted after the District Two Executive Council’s March meeting.

Application
Click here to download application (D2 members only)

Past Recipients

2023
Sarah Phillip
West Chester University, PA

2022
Justeen Gordon
University of Delaware, DE

2021
Abigail Verbeke
West Chester University, PA

2020
Maddison Miller    
West Chester University, PA

2019
Michael DeGaetano      
West Chester University, PA

2018
Katelyn Dolan
Ithaca College, NY

2017
Jillian Sarm 
West Chester University, PA

The District Two Tanya Dargusch Leadership in Community Service Scholarship was established to recognize a deserving athletic training student with exceptional leadership skills and service to his/her community. Equally important, the student shall provide outstanding involvement in the profession. It honors Tanya Dargusch who has shown exceptional leadership in her community as well as being the first female to serve on the NATA D2 Executive Council as its secretary. The recipient will be awarded a $2500.00 scholarship that will be presented during the District Two Business Meeting held at NATA Annual Symposia and AT Expo in June.

Criteria

1. Nominee must be a District Two Member whose primary NATA address is located within the district.

2. Nominee must be in good standing when both submitting the application and accepting the scholarship.

3. Nominee must be an athletic training student enrolled in a CAATE approved graduate or undergraduate program the following year.

4. Nominee must hold a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.00 scale

5. Nominee must list community leadership qualities.

6. Nominee must be involved in local, state, district, or national athletic training activities.

7. Nominee must demonstrate leadership activities and involvement in community service.

8. Supervising athletic training preceptor’s evaluation and letter of recommendation addressing the nominee’s outstanding involvement in the profession.

9. Nominee’s letter of recommendation from a community service leader directly supervising the nominee and addressing his/her leadership qualities and involvement in their community.

10. Nominee’s intention to pursue the profession of athletic training as a career.

Application Requirements

1. Nominee must submit an application; resume’, a completed recommendation form by their athletic training preceptor who must be a member of District Two as well as a letter of recommendation by their supervising community service leader. The supervising community service leader may not be their supervising athletic trainer.

2. Nominee must include an official college/university transcript.

3. The athletic training preceptor may only nominate one student per calendar year.

4.  The completed application and all accompanying materials must be received electronically by 11:59 pm March 1st. 

The winner will be contacted after the District Two Executive Council’s March meeting.

Application
Click here to download student application (D2 members only) | Recommendation form for Supervising Athletic Training Preceptor (D2 members only)

Past Recipients

2023
Amelia Gilch
West Chester University, PA

2022
Emily Strama
University of Pittsburgh, PA

2021
Deanna Laubach
West Chester University, PA

2020
Lauren Betts
University of Pittsburgh, PA

2019
Maddison Miller
West Chester University, PA

2018
Kelly St. John
West Chester University, PA

2017
Kaitlyn Gustafson
Daemon College, NY

2016
Nahmir Hack
Temple University, PA

2015
Angelica Nunez 
California University of Pennsylvania, PA

2014
Steven Davi
Kings College, PA

The NATA District 2 Executive Board approved the creation of a grant to support innovation and entrepreneurship efforts among the membership.  As the athletic training profession continues to grow, so does the mindset that ATs can do more than just work in the clinical setting.  Now, more than ever, ATs are becoming entrepreneurs, business owners, inventors and innovators.  The problem is, most ATs have received little or no education in business management, product development, financial modeling, or investment funding.   This grant will provide up to $5,000 in funding each fiscal year, as well as mentorship assistance from the Grant Committee for one year following the award.  Funds may only be used for development of the business or product.  Funds may not be used as compensation.

Criteria
Applicant must:
1. Be a District Two Member in good standing, whose primary NATA address is located within the district. The recipient must also be a NATA member in good standing when accepting the award in June.
2. Have an NPI number
3. Must have a passion to pursue starting a business or creating a product that will better serve the members of the profession and the patients they serve would be eligible to apply.

Application Requirements
1. Applicants must submit an online application and include a detailed prospectus of their project, including description, timeline, and budget.

Timeline
1. June D2 Business Meeting: Request for applications
2. September 15th:  Deadline for submitting applications
3. September 1 – October 31:  Review of applications
4. November 30: Three finalists are selected to present to the committee at EATA.
5. January (EATA):  Finalists present in front of committee at EATA.  The committee chooses a winner, who will be announced at D2 meeting.

Application
Interested District 2 members must apply online. Click here to go the the application link: (D2 members only)

Past Recipients

2021
TBA

The Bobby Gunn Student Leadership Award which was established to recognize one of the true pioneers in athletic training and to give deserving athletic training students assistance in attending NATA’s Annual Convention. District 2 and NATA will provide a travel/hotel stipend up to $1000 for NATA’s upcoming annual meeting and the NATA will waive the convention registration fee. The award recipient will also be recognized at the annual meeting during the Pinky Newell Scholarship & Student Leadership Breakfast.

Criteria

1. The athletic training student must be a District Two Member in good standing, whose primary NATA address is located within the district.

2. Undergraduate or entry level master’s student in last year of school.

3. Must be matriculated in a CAATE approved program.

4. Hold a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.00 scale. Please submit a transcript.

5. Must demonstrate leadership qualities.

6. Must be involved in local, state, district, or national athletic training activities

7. Program Director Letter of Recommendation

8. Resume

Application requirements:

1. District 2 education program directors will be notified of application requests in January and may nominate one student from their institution in their last year of the program and will graduate.

2. Nominees must submit a letter of application, a resume, and a letter of recommendation from their program director.

3. The application deadline is March 1st.

Award Winner will receive:
1. Complimentary registration to the annual NATA Clinical Symposia and AT Expo.
2. $500 reimbursement from the NATA.
3. District 2 will provide up to an additional $500 of receipted expenses.

Award winner obligations:
1. Attend the annual NATA Clinical Symposia and AT Expo.
2. Attend the Pinky Newell Scholarship/Award breakfast.
3. Discuss with District Director other appropriate meetings to attend.

ALL DOCUMENTS SHOULD BE EMAILED TO THE DISTRICT 2 DIRECTOR AT director@natad2.org

The winner will be contacted after the District Two Executive Council’s March meeting. It is the responsibility of the recipient to submit receipted expenses up to coordinate with the District Treasurer $500 within 14 days of the end of the annual meeting. Allowable expenses include transportation and hotel costs. Please submit directly to the District Treasurer 

Application
Download Application (D2 members only)

Past Recipients

2023
Sarah Jefferson
University of Delaware, DE

2022
Maria Pettitt
SUNY at Buffalo, NY

2021
Emily Schmidt
West Chester University, PA

2020
Devon Trieschock
University of Pittsburgh, PA

2019
Katelyn Dolan
Ithaca College, NY

2018
Morgan Dumont
West Chester University, PA

2017
Sarah Himes
West Chester University, PA

2016
Kelsey Rynkiewicz
King's College, PA

2015
Rebecca Dubas
West Chester University, PA

2014
Eric Reeves
Lock Haven University, PA

2013
Steven Barandica
Kean University, NJ

2012
Shawn Hanlon
Rowan University, NJ

2011
Alexandra Schubert
West Chester University, PA

2010
Jessica Johns
Duquesne University, PA

2009
Jordan Blair
Slippery Rock University, PA