Recent Grad 101: Nasir Alexander ’19, MSAT ’21
We’re always excited to talk to recent Chatham grads about their time with us and after us, but speaking with Nasir Alexander ’19, MSAT ’21 held special meaning. Not only is Alexander an accomplished athletic trainer, he’s also a member of Chatham’s inaugural all-gender undergraduate class (and was even very gracious when I exclaimed “You’re part of Chatham’s history!”). Read on about his unique time on campus, his love for athletic training, and more.
One of the most striking things about talking to Nasir Alexander is his appreciation for growth and transformation. Not just his own growth, or the growth of the athletes he trains at Seton LaSalle Catholic High School, but the growth of Chatham too. He fully acknowledges the sometimes rocky student experience during the first years of Chatham’s all-gender undergraduate decision, but in speaking about his time here, he emphasized the metamorphosis of our campus offerings both academically and socially.
“All of us men who came on campus, we came to not only respect the culture but help Chatham grow and develop the same way we wanted to. My undergraduate life and career kind of reflects that because as the years went by, Chatham began to grow, transition, develop— as much as I felt like I was growing, I could definitely see the school growing too. Not only the root that it’s standing on, but now it’s branched out to where a lot more people can enjoy it. We started with about 25 men on campus and I could name every single one and then it got to the point where I can go anywhere across Western Pennsylvania and most people know Chatham now.”
“It’s interesting to be affiliated with something that's much bigger than it was when you started there. Looking back over time, you could see how much the school has grown, the reputation has grown, the name has grown. Everything has gone for the better and I think that looking to the future now, you can see more and more alums that'll hopefully be like me, where instead of holding onto a past thing, they could see the good things that have come out of Chatham. Even that the traditions of old haven't gone anywhere; they're still there, but there's more added on to it because that's how life works— you have to grow and adapt.”
Nasir Alexander ’19, MAT ’21
Athletics are a core part of Nasir Alexander’s sense of self. A lifelong basketball player and member of the first men’s basketball team here at Chatham, Alexander describes athletics as “a part of my DNA, a part of my motivation, one of the reasons that’s always driven me to do as well as I possibly could.” Originally planning to study physical therapy, Alexander’s career course was shifted, as so often happens, by the guiding hand of a Chatham faculty member—in this case, Director of Athletic Training and Exercise Science Jason Edsall, Ph.D., who was reconfiguring the exercise science and athletic training options at Chatham at the time and saw something in Alexander.
“[Edsall] said, ‘Hey, have you ever thought about athletic training?’ And he explained to me what it was— a more hands-on approach where I would get to be with athletes every day. I had athletic trainers that took care of me and I could definitely see myself doing what they did and it just kind of fell into place where my interest to take care of people, help people, keep them healthy but also remain in the athletic world meshed the best.”
Now Alexander works at Seton LaSalle Catholic High School as an athletic trainer, sharing his medical and training knowledge with the next generation of athletes. His advice for students interested in athletic training? “First thing is obviously make sure you love what you do. There's always going to be pluses and minuses with every job but if you enjoy what you do, the pluses will always outweigh the minuses and you won't get tired.
“The second is just understand what's best for you— athletic training is such a vast field, people don't understand. There’s high school, college, there’s industrial settings and factories and workforces; athletic trainers are in ergonomics, they're in doctor's offices, they're in surgery. There's so many ways that you could use your degree… there's going to be something out there for you. Don't be close-minded to think you have to do one thing; just try to find the spot that fits your interests the most.”
When I asked Alexander about a favorite Chatham memory, he didn’t hesitate. He recounted his experiences on the inaugural men’s basketball team from his first year at Chatham to his last, building good will and relationships among students, staff, and faculty.
“I remember by the time our senior year came, we actually were lucky enough to go play and win a conference championship and there were about four or five busloads from Chatham— everybody from faculty to Dr. Finegold to students, parents, alumni—they packed the house at an away game in Westminster. It showed us like, ‘wow, the school is actually behind us, they actually support us.’ We got to watch the school be united in this one thing and we got to be at the head of that. That's the legacy we were able to leave in that moment.”
Learn more about Chatham’s athletic training program here, including an integrated undergraduate and graduate degree track.
Sarah C. Hamm is the Associate Director of Brand and Content Strategy at Chatham University, guiding Chatham’s social media and digital editorial strategy for Pulse@ChathamU. An alumna of Chatham’s MFA Creative Writing Program, her creative work has been published in The Fourth River, Coal Hill Review, and IDK Magazine. When she’s not writing, she’s podcasting, baking, hiking, or enjoying Pittsburgh’s food scene.
