Colin Wojtkiewicz didn’t know.
Didn’t know what he wanted to major in at Nebraska Wesleyan. And for a while, didn’t know if his college track & field career would continue the way he envisioned after a significant injury.
But the injury led to clarity. And with support from the NWU faculty and staff surrounding him, Wojtkiewicz found his calling with Nebraska Wesleyan’s master of athletic training (MAT) program.
One of the top throwers in NWU’s illustrious track & field history, Wojtkiewicz holds the school record in the hammer throw and finished fifth this season at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. He was also an all-region pick in the shot put and hammer throw.
Wojtkiewicz came to NWU for the track & field program and will leave with even more than just athletic accomplishments. This school year, he will complete his work in the MAT program, take part in Nebraska Wesleyan’s student symposium, and continue building the connections to start his professional career.
And it all started with a setback.
As a junior, Wojtkiewicz suffered a torn hamstring that meant eight weeks of grueling rehab with NWU’s athletic training staff.
“It was almost like that solidified my decision to go into the MAT program. Because the interaction you have with athletic trainers, I want to be the person that, when people work with me, they always have hope,” Wojtkiewicz said. “They always have a smile on their face, and hopefully they’re having fun doing things.
“That’s how all my athletic trainers were for me. They made the rehab fun, and they made the recovery easier to go through. It was always so uplifting to be surrounded by people who cared and wanted you to be better.”
Wojtkiewicz had already been talking with Samantha Wilson, the director of NWU’s MAT program, who showed him the inner workings of the program and what it could provide. Megan Kobs, the athletic trainer for NWU’s track & field teams, was another trusted voice.
Outside of athletics, Professor of Communication David Whitt helped Wojtkiewicz find the right path in the health field while serving as his undergraduate advisor and Archway curriculum instructor.
“I didn’t know what I was getting into at first when I came here. I didn’t know what was to be expected,” said Wojtkiewicz, an Illinois native. “But it’s a well-rounded education that you’re going to get here. You take a little bit of everything — communication classes, writing classes, diversity classes, identity classes.
“You’re really going to understand yourself and others around you, and it’s really eye-opening, because a lot of those classes opened up a lot more discussion than I had ever had, or was maybe even comfortable with at the beginning.”