Senior Avery Hunn presented to students and staff in the Schola to educate them about sports medicine and preventing pediatric sports-related injuries for athletes.
Avery’s project was one of many Math and Science Academy (MSA) Senior Projects, an annual project every senior in the academy takes part in.
Many seniors may find it difficult to choose a topic and wait until the last minute to choose, but Avery knew her topic just about from the start.
“I have known what I wanted to do since freshman year, as soon as the project was introduced,” Avery said. “Knowing your topic that early on is rare for this project.”
Avery’s project highlighted preventing sports related pediatric injuries, including the equipment needed for the repair of specific injuries. She talked about the recovery process, various exercises to help with recovery and emphasized the importance of sport-related exercises that directly translate to the field.
After volunteering the summer after her sophomore year at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters (CHKD), Avery again reached out to and mentored there this past summer with Dr. Lauren Pierce, a sports physician. Through the project, she learned about the high number of athletes who are uneducated about preventing common injuries, the importance of warming up and many other movements and exercises.
Avery has played sports her entire life, including soccer, surfing, basketball, gymnastics and running, and claims that her sports-heavy lifestyle definitely played a role in her choice. She plans on pursuing the field of Sports Medicine in college.
“I would say to do something you are interested in; do not [pick a topic] just because it is easy or because your friends are doing it,” Avery said.
