The Rising Star was nominated by their peers!

Based on predetermined criteria, 6 finalists were selected by the Recognition Committee.

Voting on the 2022 Rising Star winner was left in the hands of our social followers and community!

Lauren White

Head Athletic Trainer, Robert Toombs Christian Academy, Montgomery Co. High School | Statesboro, GA

• Lauren is the first athletic trainer on staff for two rural high schools and is building their programs from scratch. Because the programs are new, she has devoted her time to raising money for rehabilitation equipment, supplies, and other materials needed to care for her patients.
• She provides the highest quality care for her athletes, going out of her way to attend doctor's appointments when needed, performing research to better understand an injury or rehabilitation protocol, and consistently staying late to ensure her athletes receive adequate time and attention to their injury.
• In addition, Lauren frequently attends school meetings to advocate for the profession and provide education to parents, other athletes, and physicians on the role she plays.
• "Like many others, I became an athletic trainer (AT) because of an injury I experienced in high school. Although it wasn't season-ending, it left me with gait abnormalities that I live with today. I didn't receive the kind of treatments and rehabilitation I could have if an athletic trainer had been employed at my school. I'm excited to be nominated as a Rising Star finalist because it validates the work I've been doing with my student-athletes and gives us all the chance to educate athletes, parents, and even other health care providers on the importance of ATs."

Dylan Bradley

Head Athletic Trainer, Panther Valley High School, St. Luke's Sports Medicine | Lansford, PA

• Dylan is a great asset to the Panther Valley School District and surrounding community and a role model for young professionals and other athletic trainers at St. Luke's University Health Network. He has started many initiatives to better the community and population he works with, recognizing issues within the secondary school sports medicine setting and correlating them to community health disparities.
• Dylan has achieved the NATA Safe Sports School Award and has completed the Community Health Worker course to obtain a CHW certification. Not only does he provide exceptional care to his athletes, but he has also worked closely with the school to create emergency kits, as well as the Panther Caring Pantry. This donation-based community closet allows students to grab essential home and hygiene supplies free of cost. Dylan also conducts courses for district staff, providing education on mental health, CPR/first aid, and more.
• "I was in 5th grade watching a playoff football game when I saw a player go down during one of the plays. I remember turning to my parents, saying, 'I want to be that person,' as I pointed to the athletic trainer running onto the field. I believe providing quality health care in an athletic setting is truly a dream job as it connects two of my passions. As a secondary school AT, I serve as a positive role model for my patients, helping them grow into young adults as they participate in a sport they enjoy. I truly don't think there's anything better than that!"

Brittany Cardone

Head Athletic Trainer, Anahuac High School | Anahuac, TX

• "Doc B," as Brittany has become known to her athletes, has a unique ability to make her AT room a comfortable space. Before games, you'll hear music playing as athletes are taped. Everyone trusts her to make the right decisions regarding their physical capabilities and medical needs.
• She was the first AT on staff at her school and quickly gained the trust of her patients. Before she arrived, athletes wouldn't speak up about their injuries, furthering complications as they continued to play on them.
• Brittany created the Anahuac Sports Medicine program from scratch and now has 12 student-athletic trainers under her guidance.
• "When I was a collegiate lacrosse player at Montclair State University, I was constantly in the athletic training room dealing with injuries. Having been told my pain was from shin splints up until that point, I never expected that it could be from anything else. But my AT was suspicious and sent me to an orthopedic doctor to get tested for chronic exertional compartment syndrome. It turns out that's exactly what I had, and I received treatment for it almost immediately. I was finally able to enjoy my senior year lacrosse season pain-free. Since that moment, I realized that I wanted to change an athlete's life. I recently graduated at the top of my class and found myself in Anahuac, Texas as the first district-employed AT."

Lauren Burish

Assistant Athletic Trainer, Indiana University South Bend | Warsaw, IN

• Lauren is a well-respected athletic trainer who is willing to go above and beyond for the program and her athletes. She is quick to volunteer as a guest lecturer on campus to help educate future health care providers on the profession and is currently taking leadership and emotional intelligence courses to better her skills. Lauren consistently strives to educate herself and recently became a certified nutrition coach. Her colleagues do not doubt that she will lead an organization, athletic training program, or national or state committee one day.
• In addition to her full-time AT role, she was asked to serve as an adjunct faculty member for IU South Bend in the health sciences department.
• Lauren was also recognized as the 2021 NATA ICSM staff AT of the year—the first NAIA member and youngest AT to win this award. She is a member of many national, state, and district-level AT communities and frequently volunteers to perform vital research.
• "After being hired as a student athletic training aide, my passion for athletic training grew as I observed allied health care professionals tackle new challenges and apply critical thinking skills to all ranges of injuries and illnesses. This award is a great opportunity for young professionals to showcase their hard work, leadership, and passion for athletic training immediately after graduation, which is a rarity. I am humbled to be nominated and selected as a finalist by my peers, amongst so many great athletic trainers."

Sheldon Burgess

Clinical Athletic Trainer, Saint Alphonsus Medical Group | Boise, ID

• Sheldon readily volunteers his time to help, no matter what's being asked of him. He donated much of his time in 2020 to assist in the COVID-19 testing tents, alleviating many staff members who had already worked long hours. On the field, he is loved and respected.
• Sheldon has taken a leadership role in the clinic where he works, helping to manage coverage and ensure his colleagues are taken care of. He has a unique ability to see each person's strengths and how they contribute to the organization as a whole.
• "It's a funny story, I mistakenly took a sports medicine class, thinking it would help me become a better athlete, but I instead fell in love with the combination of medicine and athletics. After taking three years of sports medicine classes in high school, I landed a spot at Boise State University. Our AT class became a family, and we quickly learned how each patient would come to impact our lives. It's such a rewarding profession. I'm proud to be able to serve as a bridge between various patient populations, coaches, parents, and physicians."