As the seniors get ready for graduation, Assistant Athletic Trainer Miss Nicole Guido received a diploma of her own. She recently completed her Masters degree (MS) in Sports Psychology at  Pennsylvania Western University.

Before this achievement, Miss Nicole attended Quinnipiac University, graduating in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree (BS) in Athletic Training. A few months later, she began working at St. Luke’s. With a BS already in her back pocket, Miss Nicole strove to grow her skills even more.

She said, “I felt that pursuing my masters degree in sports psychology could help me to provide a better level of care for my student-athletes by treating both their physical and mental health.”

Miss Nicole went on to emphasize that “[p]sychological readiness is just as important as physical readiness when an athlete is recovering from an injury and is working to return to play.”

Miss Nicole plans to work with the St. Luke’s counseling team to best treat our student-athletes. Physical injuries can affect students’ emotional well-being. With a BS and MA, Miss Nicole will be better equipped to aid student-athletes in whatever way they need.

While balancing a full time job and her personal life, Miss Nicole completed her MA with all online classes in just one year! She is excited to “better support our athletes as they work through sport related stressors, anxiety, fear of re-injury, pressure to return to play/perform, etc.” She is more than ready to support student-athletes in both their physical and mental health.

On top of supporting the athletes themselves, Miss Nicole is excited to act as an advocate for student-athletes in conversations with teachers.

More than an athletic trainer, Miss Nicole is a friend to everyone, lending a helping hand to every student that walks into her office. Whether you are dealing with an injury from a game, or you’re like me and need to ice your face after you get your wisdom teeth taken out, Miss Nicole is more than happy to jump in and do whatever she can for you.

She said, “My favorite thing about working at St. Luke’s is working with our student-athletes!  Our athletes bring such great energy to the [Athletic Training Room (ATR)] each day. I have tried to make the [ATR] an environment where student-athletes feel comfortable and safe whether they are there to rehab an injury, complete school work, or just to hang out.”

Miss Nicole went on to praise our athletes: “It takes a lot of hard work to return to play after an injury, and I am always proud of our athletes when they achieve that goal.”

The praise goes both ways, as our student-athletes care a lot about Miss Nicole. Varsity Football and Lacrosse player Andrew Kress ‘23 said, “Miss Nicole is the best. She’s always there if you need to talk about anything and really cares about all the athletes at SLS. She does so much for me and everyone else, and never asks for anything in return.”

Sofia Staikos ‘24 said, “I don’t know how Miss Nicole tolerates my sassiness and nerves all at once. She literally had to hold my hand in the penalty box when we were up 3-2 in the last min of a hockey game. She’s honestly the most kind, amazing person who I know I can go with to talk about anything!!”

And Henry Stimpson ‘25 said, “Miss Nicole is the best. She’s always there when I have problems academically and on the field. She was my 6th grade advisor, and I still consider her an advisor today.”

On May 11, students and Assistant Athletic Director Anne Knechtel came together in the Athletic Training Room for an impromptu graduation party for Miss Nicole – complete with brownies and a bright congratulatory sign filled with notes from students.

Miss Nicole is hands down one of my favorite people. I am so glad I had the opportunity to meet and grow closer with her at St. Luke’s. It only feels right that as I graduate this year, so does she!