Loyalty to the university that helped change her life. Paying it forward in honor of mentors who preceded her. Rewarding the passion and commitment of Lock Haven University (LHU) athletic training students. These are some of the reasons 1992 alumna and LHU faculty member, Dr. Yvette Ingram, provides philanthropic support to the LHU Foundation.
A former student of the renowned Dave Tomasi, the father of LHU's athletic training program, Ingram has immersed herself in the world of athletic training since her days as an LHU undergrad.
In 1998, she returned to The Haven to begin teaching in the LHU's Health Science Department. Since then, she has helped hundreds of aspiring athletic trainers transition into successful careers.
Ingram's passion for students also goes well beyond the classroom. Through the establishment of the Dr. Yvette Ingram Scholarship, she carries on the legacy of Tomasi, and other mentors like LHU alumnae, Linda Platt Meyer '83 and Julie Ramsey Emrhein '83, as she further aids LHU athletic training students on their quests to becoming the best professionals they can be.
During her undergrad studies at LHU, Ingram was a health and physical education major, and athletic training was her minor. Her goal was to become a health and physical education teacher and to work as a part-time athletic trainer.
In 1992, Ingram began teaching elementary health and physical education at Keystone Central School District and also worked for the district as an athletic trainer at Bucktail, Sugar Valley and Bald Eagle Nittany High Schools.
However, in August 1996, Tomasi called on Ingram because he had lined up a position for her to become the head athletic trainer at Cheyney University.
"I wasn't sure I could do it," Ingram said. "But Tomasi knew I could. Since that time, I have worked at a university and have not wanted to do anything else. He saw potential in us that we did not always see in ourselves."
Ingram prides herself on treating her students like family, just as Tomasi did - as do all of LHU's athletic training faculty, including fellow LHU alumni Mike Porter '91 and Eric Lippincott '95.
For her remarkable work in the field, Ingram has received two national awards in recognition of her service: The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) Service Award in 2015 and the Excellence in Leadership Award in 2021.
She is also the recipient of Temple University's Department of Kinesiology 2018 Alumni Achievement Award and the 2017 Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers' Society (PATS) Distinguished Merit Award.
Her greatest achievement, however, came in 2019, when she was inducted into the Pennsylvania Athletic Training Hall of Fame. An honor she says left her speechless, since the induction is determined by the very best athletic trainers in the commonwealth.
"Without LHU, I would not be where I am today and feel that it is imperative for everyone to give back no matter how big or small the gift is," Ingram said. "There are some students out there that only need a few hundred dollars. Others need much more. So, giving back in any amount will help someone."
"We have great students in our program that work super hard, she added. "Not only do they have their academics to deal with, but they have their clinical experiences, and many work part-time jobs and have various athletic training volunteer work or club involvement that they do. I decided to start a scholarship to reward those students who go above and beyond."
To be an athletic trainer, you must be a caring person, according to Ingram, and she is proud and inspired by how many LHU athletic training alumni continue to give back.
By mentoring and providing financial assistance to pave the way for the next generation of LHU-educated athletic trainers, Ingram is honored to be a contributor of continuing that legacy.
