Steph Fratoni received her share of accolades while with the Lehigh field hockey program, but perhaps her most impressive accolade came last month… two years after graduation.
Currently at Thomas Jefferson University pursuing her doctorate degree in physical therapy, Fratoni was awarded an Otho Davis Scholarship in November. The scholarship was created in honor of former Philadelphia Eagles' trainer Otho Davis, who was an innovator in the Sports Medicine field.
"I was blown away by the scholarship," said Fratoni. "I'm so focused right now on my career, trying to be the best that I can be and learning everything I need to know. To be put on a platform where all these big people on the committee think I have this potential was very humbling."
Fratoni's potential is being realized, due in part to her experience as a Lehigh student-athlete. Fratoni has always been interested in sports and her interest for physical therapy really blossomed because of a first-hand experience prior to her time as a Mountain Hawk.
"As a sophomore in high school, we had eight games in one day at a field hockey tournament when we were qualifying for nationals," she said. "I played every minute of all eight games. By the end of the day, I felt something in the back of my leg. It was diagnosed as just a hamstring strain; I was told to essentially rest for six weeks and then come back for nationals. When I came back, it was just as bad as it was six weeks earlier."
In the end, it was discovered that Fratoni had fractured her ischium, which forms the lower and back part of the hip bone.
"I was out for five months and it was prime recruiting time, so I didn't know if it was going to jeopardize whether I'd be able to play where I wanted in college," she said. "However, I actually came back from all of my rehab with the physical therapist stronger and better than ever before.
"At that point, I knew physical therapy was what I wanted to do. I wanted to help athletes and other individuals with injuries come back better than they were before and overcome these types of circumstances."
With her goals in mind, Fratoni chose Lehigh because of its clear path to reach her destination.
"When I was committing to Lehigh, I had talked to people from academic services, who told me that despite Lehigh not having a pre-physical therapy program, it would be possible to get in to a physical therapy post-graduate program," said Fratoni. "I knew that I needed really good grades. Part of the reason I picked Lehigh was because I knew I needed to attend a very prestigious academic program if I want to get into the doctorate program right after."
Fratoni didn't waste any time post-graduation. She graduated in May of 2015 and began her doctorate program at Jefferson in June.
"I applied over the summer going into senior year at Lehigh," said Fratoni. "The program is three years… year round. I recently took my last final practical exam with a patient, which is exciting. I finish my academics in the middle of February, but then I go on one more clinical so I'll have another 10-week clinical rotation, then graduate in May."
Fratoni was All-League and Academic All-League at Lehigh
Fratoni's Lehigh experiences have already put her, and will continue to put her, in a strong position to succeed.
"In the first year at Jefferson, a lot of my classmates struggled with the level of academics and the critical thinking needed, but I felt like Lehigh prepared me very well," she said. "I thought I'd have a big advantage in time management, but it was very different adjusting to class from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday - then studying on top of that."
Fratoni alternates classes and clinical work, work that has featured some worthwhile experiences.
"In one of my clinical settings, I worked in an acute rehab in Wilmington Hospital, so I was treating patients after strokes, spinal cord injuries and brain injuries," she said. "It was so rewarding to see these patients stand or walk for the first time after these injuries."
The setting brought a lot of teamwork, something Fratoni was used to as a Lehigh student-athlete and former team captain.
"These patients are seeing multiple disciplines, like occupational therapy, speech therapy, nurses, physicians, nutritionists and case workers," she said. "We would meet once a week and sit around a table with the person in charge of each discipline and you'd have to verbalize your findings and your role for that patient to come to a collective decision. My instructor said that students normally find the meetings very challenging, but I found it easy because it was very similar to sitting with your team and problem solving to come up with a team solution.
Much like a sports team, "Every individual has a different role, but you're all working together to accomplish the same goals," said Fratoni.
Fratoni was able to adjust to the physical therapy program because of her own individual abilities, along with her experiences as a Lehigh student and athlete. The 2015 graduate entered her doctorate program with first-hand experiences that are hard to teach.
"My first clinical experience was with NovaCare, but my instructor was a physical therapist for Neumann University," said Fratoni. "I was a student in a regular outpatient clinic for half the day, then the other half of the day, I went over to Neumann and worked in their training room and treated their athletes. I treated the athletes not only in the training room, but I could also take them into the weight room or onto the field or court and do exercises with them.
"I could just 'jive' with all of the athletic trainers, know their roles and my role. I was able to really relate with the athletes."
Fratoni's work was rewarded with the Otho Davis Scholarship, something that she never expected. It was especially humbling because her school (Jefferson) made a concerted effort to nominate her.
"Each year, the physical therapy schools in the Philadelphia area and suburbs get to nominate two students for the award," said Fratoni. "I was informed by Jefferson that I was one of the two students nominated from my class and my program. Then, I met with the faculty member who was the head of the committee who nominated me, and they told me what I'd have to do in my application."
In total, there were more than 25 candidates from the Philadelphia area schools and Fratoni was picked as a winner.
"The people in the foundation, like former Philadelphia Eagles' head coach Dick Vermeil, selected me," she said. "Harold Carmichael, the president of the foundation, used to be an Eagles' player. I got to meet all of them when I received the award. It was very humbling that they see I can carry on Otho's legacy."
Davis' legacy was strong, and Fratoni is well on her way to creating a lasting legacy of her own.
"Otho was one of the first trainers who went above and beyond in trying to figure out what else he could do to get these athletes better," she said. "A lot of athletes have stories about him really getting to know them, putting in so many hours and being there outside of sports for them. The scholarship foundation was created to help support ambitious students who are taking the same career path to hopefully become in a sense, like Otho Davis himself."
Currently, Fratoni is making an impact on athletes, as a physical therapist and even coach at her high school, Cardinal O'Hara, staying connected with the sport of field hockey and serving as a positive influence for the younger generation.
"I want to help other girls get better and have the same opportunities that I had," she said. "I had to give an acceptance speech the night I received the scholarship. I mentioned how the athletic community in general has provided me with so many opportunities that I wouldn't trade for the world, and I hope to always remain a part of that community. I want to give back to the athletes and help them remain a part of the community that's taught me lessons I'll carry with me forever."
