Sargent Honors Marathon Volunteers

When the finish line at the 2013 Boston Marathon became the front line in a bombing attack, 16 Sargent athletic training students and their faculty mentors went from volunteers to first responders in an instant. Their training kicked in as they transported victims in wheelchairs to first aid tents and ambulances, performed triage, and comforted the injured amid the chaos.

Following the marathon, the Boston University Society of Athletic Training Students (SATS) commissioned a plaque in honor of the volunteers’ courageous service. “It was important to recognize everyone—including the preceptors and athletic trainers from BU—who was present that day,” says SATS President Ryan Birchall (’14), who organized the proposal for the plaque and commissioned the art by Marianne Ritterova (’14).

The plaque, which now hangs on the second floor of the Sargent building, exemplifies the College’s mission to educate students who are both prepared and willing to serve their community in even the most unimaginable circumstances.