ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ transfer student following his dream of working with athletes
Noah Jahangir went through his first two years of college unsatisfied with the atmosphere that he was in. As a student at Illinois State University (ISU), Jahangir was spending his time in lecture halls with 300 students and wasn't studying what he wanted to major in. Not to mention, he wasn't playing soccer, one of his true passions.
"I was scared about not succeeding and I saw all of these other students in my lecture classes studying the same major I was doing. I got frustrated. I wanted to connect with my teachers on a personal level," Jahangir said.
The Elgin, Ill., native decided to make a change and chose to transfer to ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ University his junior year; he also changed his major to athletic training. Coming to ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ not only gave him an opportunity to engage in athletic training, but he was able to join the soccer team and continue the family legacy by following in his mother's footsteps, Diane, who graduated from ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ in 1987.
"ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ was a great opportunity for me," Jahangir said. "I can play a sport, study the major I want, and do my clinical hours with no conflicts with classes."
Currently a senior, Jahangir says hands-on Performance Learning is what he loves about the athletic training program, and ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ´«Ã½ as a whole. The experience he is gaining is giving him the skills he needs to accomplish his dream of working with athletes.
"I don't want to be in a classroom," said Jahangir. "I want to be out there getting to know the athletes, doing the job, preparing me for the future. Not to mention, learning from the full-time athletic training staff and getting to know their experiences and stories from the past."
