JERSEY CITY, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Karla Mejia, ATC LAT has been promoted to head athletic trainer at New Jersey City University after spending the 2016-17 year as the program's assistant athletic trainer.
 
Mejia is just the fourth head athletic trainer at NJCU since 1990 and succeeds Ann Marie Stoebling who held the position the previous 10 years before resigning this summer.
 
Mejia will oversee all sports medicine for NJCU athletics, which includes an assistant athletic trainer, athletic training interns from a local academic program, a team physician and a team orthopedist. 
 
She is certified by the National Athletic Trainers Association Board of Certification, and licensed by the New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners. She is CPR/AED certified.
 
Mejia and her staff will provide coverage of all practices and competitions, and work closely with team physicians in the event of injuries, and during pre-participation exams. She will oversees all medical care for all NJCU student-athletes, working closely with the New Jersey Sports Medicine Institute. 
 
Mejia originally joined the staff in August 2016 after previously serving as an athletic training intern during the 2014-15 academic year. She also worked for the NJCU Community Rec department as its health director for two years (2015-16).
 
Mejia, 23, is a 2016 graduate of Kean University's Athletic Training program, minoring in Health Education. She earned induction into Kean's Lambda Alpha Sigma Honor Society.
 
"I'm thankful to NJCU for this opportunity," Mejia noted. "After spending the last year as the assistant athletic trainer, I have enjoyed working with our student-athletes and coaches and NJCU has been such a positive environment to begin my career. I love athletic training because I was once an injured athlete myself and I understand the position they were in. Being able to help, being empathetic and caring for athletes' health is what I enjoy."
 
Alice De Fazio, Director of Athletics, said: "We are excited and pleased to announce Karla Mejia as our Head Athletic Trainer.  She brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the position, and her familiarity with NJCU will translate into a productive and positive environment for our coaches and student-athletes."
 
With Mejia being elevated to head athletic trainer, her office will add an assistant athletic trainer to the staff and will be introduced the week of September 28.
 
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