LORETTO, Pa. – Saint Francis women's volleyball senior Shannon Thomas and athletic trainer Jenna Hirsch would typically be spending fall weekends on a bus around the region as they travel to Northeast Conference matches.
 
With her senior season on hold, Thomas is working with Hirsch to learn about a career after her college volleyball days are complete.
 
Thomas is part of the Exercise Physiology major at Saint Francis with the physical therapy 4+3 track. Her dream job has always been to become a physical therapist.
 
As part of her program, Thomas is completing an internship with the Sports Medicine Department, working alongside a familiar face in Hirsch. Choosing to complete her internship here, Thomas was able to gain the knowledge and responsibilities that overlap between an athletic trainer and a physical therapist. The setter from West Chester is learning common rehabilitation modalities, programming rehabilitation for athletes, assisting athletes through their exercises, and learning the special tests that are used to diagnose injuries.
 
"As my athletic trainer for the last two years, I have witnessed Jenna excel at her job," said Thomas. "Now I get the opportunity to witness her excel from the opposite side, working alongside her and learning from her, which is great."
 
Although her experience is different due to the challenges of COVID-19, her goal is to learn as much as possible to best prepare for the demand of PT school, and says Hirsch is definitely a component to accomplishing that goal. With the unique nature of the semester, Thomas says she is grateful to still have the opportunity to complete her internship in a hands-on environment.
 
"Now that I am a senior in athletics, the Sports Medicine Department is an environment I feel very comfortable in," said Thomas. "Having the opportunity to complete my internship with Jenna makes my experience that much more fun!"
 
"It has been awesome to watch Shannon grow the past three years on the court, academically, and as a person," said Hirsch. "I'm proud of the tremendous strides she has taken in all aspects of her life. I have loved having her intern with me this semester. Her eagerness to learn and apply the skills that she has learned so far on athletes of all different teams is outstanding. Her confidence in herself has really grown in our short amount of time working together and I'm very confident that she will excel in her future education. I am excited to continue to watch her grow as she starts her journey at the physical therapy school she chooses."
 
Upon graduation in May, Thomas will be continuing her education to obtain her Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Currently in the search process, Shannon was just recently accepted to the DPT program at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
 
"Shannon doesn't have a lot of time to give, but is a very dedicated student and athlete," said head coach Sara McMullen. "She is selfless and such a hard worker. We are fortunate to have her in our program to be a great role model for the younger athletes."
 
With her eye on the prize, Thomas is sure to succeed on and off the court for her final season as a Red Flash.
 
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To learn more about Saint Francis University, visit francis.edu.