Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2023

In honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in May, the NATA Now blog is highlighting some of our Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders at the state, district and national levels.

At age 14, Nikki Awaya, MEd, ATC, already knew the athletic training profession was the right path for her.

Now an athletic trainer in the secondary school setting, Awaya said that while she enjoys seeing athletes win completions, it’s even more rewarding to see them win in life.

In honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in May, the NATA Now blog is highlighting some of our Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders at the state, district and national levels.

For someone with many educational and career opportunities to choose from, California Athletic Trainers’ Association (CATA) Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair Monica Ohkubo, DSc, ATC, EMT-B, said she was not sure which direction to take in the early years of her professional journey.

In honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in May, the NATA Now blog is highlighting some of our Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders at the state, district and national levels.

Ruemruk Malasarn, MA, ATC, fell in love with the athletic training profession and its work environment, while taking an introduction to athletic training course and interning as a California State Polytechnic University Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) undergraduate student, he said.