Spotlight: Health Education and Promotion Student Mallery Lile

Monday, November 9, 2015

Mallery Lile, like many high school athletes, suffered an injury. Through her recovery, she not only got back on the playing field, she found a future career.

“I was very impacted by my school’s athletic trainer. She was a huge role model … and poured so much time and effort into me,” Lile said. “She is why I want to become an athletic trainer. I want to do what she did for me to other people.”

Lile, a sophomore health and education promotion student from Piedmont, Okla., chose the bachelor’s degree program so that she can go on to graduate school and become an athletic trainer. Her major option is exercise and health. A master’s degree in athletic training is offered through the OSU Health Sciences Center in Tulsa.

“I chose OSU for the atmosphere and also for the degree. I came right when athletic training (transitioned) to a master’s program so I majored in health and education promotion,” Lile said. “I love the diversity of this program and what I can do with it. The faculty is amazing…I’ve built a great relationship with them. I can go to them for advice and they are much more than professor[s].”

Last January, Lile job-shadowed the athletic training staff with the OSU women’s basketball team. This semester, she is serving as a student athletic trainer with the OSU football program. In this role she assists with athlete injury prevention and rehabilitation, maintains a clean and organized environment for the athletes and staff and performs general set up and clean up of team equipment for practices and games.

“There are many things that I have gained from working with these programs, but one of the most influential things I have learned is how to deal with high intensity decision making,” Lile said.  “Decision making happens in our everyday lives and in my current position as a student athletic trainer for football I have to make quick decisions in high stress situations.”

Lile is a member of Residential Leadership College, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Health Education and Promotion Club and plays OSU Intramural Sports.