Jeff Jean-Pierre MS ‘23 credits North Park University (NPU) faculty and staff with helping him achieve his dream career after it was almost derailed by COVID.
“Not only did they help me realize that athletic training is what I wanted to do, but they were key to me getting my internship at my dream work destination, the Chicago Bulls,” says the Skokie, Illinois native.
Like so many, COVID put a severe damper on Jean-Pierre’s undergraduate work in athletic training, and it wasn’t until he came to North Park in 2021 that he was finally able to do job shadowing and get real-time experience.
“To have those kinds of amazing personal connections and experiences is something I’ll always be grateful for.”
Now, Jean-Pierre is off to his next dream internship with the Detroit Lions, where he will spend the summer tending to the injuries and ailments of the team as they embark on their training camp. He says North Park “more than prepared me” for the rigors of professional football athletic training.
“Being able to practice a lot and ask never-ending questions gave me the confidence, for sure, to take on this challenge,” he says.
During his tenure at North Park, Jean-Pierre did athletic training rotations at DePaul University, Maine East High School, and Lake Forest College, in addition to his work with the Bulls. Because he’s “fascinated” by human anatomy, his favorite class at North Park was orthopedics, in which he studied bone structures.
Jean-Pierre is especially grateful to the “warm and welcoming” staff and faculty in the Athletic Training Program under Director Andrew Lundgren. He says they were key in opening doors for him in the professional world.
“Really, all of the hands-on work I did, plus what I learned in the classroom, has resulted in being able to succeed in this next chapter of my life.”