Wright State doctoral student creates concussion website

Samantha Sanderson says Concussion Connection provides education and awareness about concussions and support for athletes recovering from concussions.

Excerpt

Samantha Sanderson’s interest in concussions was both professional and, unfortunately, personal long before she enrolled as a graduate student at Wright State’s School of Professional Psychology.

An elite soccer player growing up in Hilliard, just outside of Columbus, Sanderson earned a Division I scholarship and dreamed of playing professionally after her college career with the University of Miami Hurricanes. But she suffered a pair of concussions a short time apart in the spring of her junior season, followed by two more a brief time later that ended her playing career.

Sanderson completed her psychology degree at Miami and was working at the neuropsychology lab at Ohio State when she decided to go to grad school. About a month before leaving for WSU, she got into a car accident that left her with another concussion, and another altered life path.

“I was always interested in concussions and athletes, but I wasn’t passionate about it per se,” Sanderson said. “After the accident is when it hit me that ‘OK, I have to do something about this and get a little more involved. I really felt differently about it after having, let’s say, a refresher course.”

Read the full article from the Dayton Daily News (subscription required).