Athletic Training Month Student Spotlight Series
Texas State Student's Journey Takes Her From Army to Athletic Training
Charlcee Cervantez || March 5, 2025
Ashlyn Blakley's path to becoming an athletic trainer at Texas State University is anything but typical. A Magnolia, Texas, native, Blakley's journey has taken her from the classroom to the military and back again, fueled by a desire to serve and a passion for sports medicine.
Blakley, a 2018 graduate of Houston Baptist University (now HCU), initially pursued a career in education, substituting in Magnolia and Waller ISDs. However, a desire for something more led her to enlist in the Army as an Air Defense Officer. Her three and a half years of active duty took her to Germany and Israel, where she spent a year, deepening her faith and personal growth.
"Living in Israel was a really impactful experience," Blakley said. "It allowed me to connect more with my faith and strengthen my relationship with God."
Now a member of the Army Reserves as a Chaplain Candidate, Blakley is simultaneously pursuing two master's degrees: Athletic Training at Texas State University and Divinity at Kairos University.
"After my time in active duty, I knew I needed a change," she said. "I decided to pursue my master’s in athletic training, and Texas State was my dream school. I never thought I'd be able to join this amazing team of ATs, but thanks to my hard work and the GI Bill, my dreams are coming true."
Blakley's decision to attend Texas State was influenced by a former graduate assistant from HCU, who had spoken highly of the program.
"He was one of the smartest people I had met," Blakley said. "I knew that if I ever had the chance to attend Texas State, I would. I wanted to be the best athletic training I could be for my patients, and I knew I needed to attend a program like Texas State's."
The Department of Health and Human Performance has provided invaluable support, she said, highlighting the dedication of professors and preceptors.
"Every professor I've had at Texas State has prepared us very well for the Board of Certification exam and our future practices," Blakley said.
She specifically praised Dr. Megan Haynes for her passion and dedication to teaching. "She goes above and beyond, connecting her content to real-world applications and making us use our own thoughts to figure out the best ways we will use it in our future clinical settings," Blakley said.
Gabe Olivas, the Texas State baseball preceptor/athletic trainer, has also been instrumental in her development. "He creates a learning environment that connects the classroom to real-world experiences," she said. "He doesn't sugarcoat things, he makes you think outside of the box, and allows us as students to have autonomy with creating rehab protocols, treatments, and performing evaluations. Without him, I wouldn't have grown as much as I have as an AT student and a future AT."
Her fieldwork placement with the baseball team has provided hands-on experience in treatments, rehabilitation, and practice preparation. She's gained confidence in applying classroom knowledge to clinical settings and developed a deeper understanding of modality selection and application.
"Being able to pick out modalities, use them in treatments, and explain to athletes why they were chosen is something I've learned recently," she said.
For future students, Blakley's advice is simple: "Keep striving towards your goals. Write them out. And remember that everyone gets to the finish line at different times. Everyone has a different journey, and every encounter leads you to more experiences that you can use in your future AT program or clinic."
Blakley's unique journey underscores the diverse backgrounds and unwavering dedication that make Texas State's athletic training program a standout.