Erin Arnas awarded the Jack Cramer Scholarship
Congratulations to Erin Arnas of New Berlin, Wis., the 2014 recipient of the Jack Cramer Scholarship. The $2,000.00 scholarship was established in 2006 by Cramer Products to honor the memory of Jack Cramer, who believed in mentoring high school students interested in the profession of athletic training. Jack, son of company co-founder Frank Cramer, died in 2004 at age of 86. The scholarship is awarded to a graduating high school senior planning to become an athletic trainer and work in a high school setting.
Erin is a 2014 graduate of New Berlin West High School, and will attend Winona State College in Minnesota this fall, majoring in athletic training. In an essay Erin wrote for the scholarship application, she said, “I knew I wanted to have a career in sports medicine since career day in eighth grade, and from there research led me to the rewarding career of athletic training. Ever since discovering this occupation, I have never considered doing anything different with my life. I am destined to be an athletic trainer because of a combination of my love for sports, the medical field, guiding teenagers, and giving back to others. There is no other profession in the world that fulfills all of those interests, and based on the amount of hours I have spent as a student athletic trainer over the past three years, I know there is not one boring trait about this profession.” Erin also says that her high school athletic trainer, Claudia Percifield, ATC, served as a role model and further inspired her career decision.
In her essay, Erin wrote, “I plan to help my athletes not only through injuries, but through tough points in high school. It is my hope that I can become a role model as well as an athletic trainer. Not only is it up to the athletic trainer to talk with the athlete, but also communicating to that athlete’s parents, coach, athletic director, and at times a doctor or school guidance counselor. In addition, having patience for athletes, coaches, and parents is a necessity in this profession. Patience is a skill I believe I have acquired, but it is something I will also continue to work on to make myself the best athletic trainer I can be.”
In recommending Erin for the scholarship, Claudia Percifield wrote, “I have had the pleasure of knowing Erin for four years through athletics and have worked closely with her, supervising her in the athletic training room where she served as a student athletic trainer. Erin displays all of the characteristics desired of an athletic trainer; she is intelligent, hard-working, and self-motivated. She manages her time well and contributes significantly to every organization she takes part in, realizing even at this level the value of contributing to professional organizations to ensure success of the organization.”
Claudia continues, “What sets Erin apart from her classmates are the skills you cannot teach. Erin has superior communication skills, whether she is talking to a classmate, coach or teacher, or a complete stranger. She is able to build a rapport with anyone she meets, creating an immediate bond of trust that’s palpable. In the athletic training room, she is intuitive, allowing us to work as a well-oiled machine. She has paid so much attention to my treatment style over the course of her four years with me that she can anticipate my next move and how to best help me be efficient. She is so passionate about her future career that she spends countless hours in the athletic training room, even on days when school is not in session.”
Erin says she is honored to win a scholarship from such a prestigious company. Over the summer, she’s been working in a clothing store, spending time with her family, and helping Claudia at the high school “every chance I get.” She’s excited about starting classes this fall at Winona State, saying, “The campus is impossible to not fall in love with. Everything is very centralized but is definitely not too small, population- wise. I am looking forward to meeting new friends and the challenges that are associated with living away from my hometown.”
Erin, everyone at Cramer wishes you the very best of luck at Winona State! You clearly have the traits and the drive to become a world-class athletic trainer, and we are very proud to be a part of your exciting career journey!