When Sanford Regional Technical Center launched its new Sports Medicine Program, it opened a door that one Sanford High School senior was ready to walk right through.
Now a senior with plans to study exercise science at St. Joseph's College next fall, Isabella McCall has become one of the program's standout participants, pairing her classroom learning with a hands-on internship at Maine Health's Sports Performance Center in Sanford.
Isabella admits she wasn't always sure what direction she wanted to take after high school. It was through conversations with teachers and some soul-searching that exercise science started to feel like the right fit. When she spotted the Sports Medicine Program, she jumped, though not without some self-doubt about whether she could handle the realities of a medical setting.
"I just was like, no, I'm just going to go for it," she said. "The program was a great way for me to see if I can handle injuries and stuff like that. And it's been good so far."
The program had originally been two years, which gave her pause as a senior, but when it was condensed to one year the decision became easy. "And then they switched it to one and I was like, I'll do it," she said.
Through the program's Extended Learning Opportunities, Isabella arranged an internship at Maine Health's Sports Performance Center, where she spends two to three days a week observing treatments and supporting staff.
The classroom curriculum, covering muscle anatomy, health terminology, and movement mechanics, has translated directly to the gym floor. At the Sports Performance Center, Isabella observes treatments, helps explain exercises to clients, and occasionally sets up workouts under the guidance of staff. She recalled one moment when a client was working through an exercise involving internal rotation with one arm and external rotation with the other.
"The person was like, 'I have no clue what this is,'" Isabella said. "And I said, ‘I bet it's going to be like this,’ and then the strength and conditioning specialist demonstrated and it was exactly what I was thinking."
A three-sport athlete currently running outdoor track, Isabella has a natural connection to the field and it hasn't gone unnoticed. Her instructor and track coach, Jess Giordano, says it has been "truly an honor" having Isabella in the program, pointing to her outstanding academic performance and her ability to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application. What stands out most, though, is the effect she has on those around her.
"She leads by example and her peers gravitate to her insights because she demonstrates how to think critically and problem solve things that may be encountered in the field," Giordano said. "I am excited to see what her future brings."