Turning injury into impact

“You can’t really put into words the amount of help and support and caring people that come out of Wright State. I was able to learn in a safe environment and express my ideas with people around me who could help me to grow.”—Siobhan Fagan ’04

Because her own athletic career was cut short due to injury, Siobhan Fagan ’04 has made it her goal as an athletic trainer to ensure others in her care don’t suffer a similar fate.

Fagan got her start as a trainer as a Wright State University graduate assistant before graduating with her Master of Education.

She currently works at Kettering Health as an athletic trainer and professional development team lead. Previously, she served as the clinical education coordinator in the Master of Athletic Training Program at her alma mater.

Fagan uses her own experience as motivation to help athletes regain their health and get back into action.

“I work predominantly in the secondary school setting, helping high school kids with their injuries and recovery and putting them back on the field so that they can do what they love, and that makes me happy,” she said.

It may have been “divine intervention” that paved her way to athletic training as a career. Fagan found herself leafing through a catalog for Cedarville University at her church one day and saw a description for the program, which immediately piqued her interest.

“I thought, that sounds like fun and I love sports,” she said. “I had my soccer career cut short due to a shoulder injury. So, I saw this profession as a meld of being able to stay in sports while also helping people.”

Fagan has been involved with the Ohio Athletic Trainers’ Association, serving as past president, president and vice president of governmental affairs. She also served as the Ohio representative to the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers’ Association and is currently a member of the Ohio Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Athletic Training Board.

In 2024, she was inducted into the Ohio Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Fame in 2024. Humbled by her induction into the hall, Fagan was thrilled to join her Wright State mentors who had been previously enshrined.

She received another prestigious honor this year when she was honored with the College of Health, Education and Human Services Outstanding Alumna Award, which recognizes former Wright State students who have made exceptional contributions to their professions while giving back to their community.

“Receiving this award from Wright State is truly an honor because I value my education at Wright State,” she said. “To be recognized by my college is just truly, truly humbling to me.”

Siobhan Fagan ’04 with Dean Marty Sexton after receiving the 2026 College of Health, Education and Human Services Outstanding Alumna Award.

One of her favorite Wright State memories is working with the swim team as a graduate assistant and being tossed into the pool after the squad won the Horizon League crown.

Fagan said her decision to attend Wright State for graduate school helped shape the trajectory of her career. After discovering the field of athletic training, she found the right fit during her campus visit, where connections with faculty helped confirm her path.

“Wright State really was a pivotal moment in my education,” she said. “I learned so much in those two years as a graduate assistant.”

She credits the university’s supportive environment as one of the most meaningful aspects of her experience.

“You can’t really put into words the amount of help and support and caring people that come out of Wright State,” Fagan said. “I was able to learn in a safe environment and express my ideas with people around me who could help me to grow.”

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