Natalie Claffey ’18 knew she wanted a career that combined healthcare and sports. What she didn’t know — and what she wants today’s students to understand — is that choosing a path at 18 doesn’t mean you have to follow it forever.
After earning degrees in health science and athletic training from West Chester University, Natalie began her career with Premier Orthopaedics. Today, she’s back in school at Gwynedd Mercy University preparing to become a registered nurse, while continuing the athletic training work she loves.
Recently, her career journey brought her somewhere familiar: back to the sidelines at Bonner & Prendie, helping care for today’s student-athletes.
We caught up with Natalie about building a career in healthcare, discovering when it was time for a new challenge and learning to trust where life takes you.
You knew early on that you were interested in sports and healthcare. How did that shape your first career choice?
I played volleyball at Prendie and was captain my senior year and All-Catholic my junior and senior years. When I was 18 and thinking about a career, I knew I liked sports and medicine, so sports medicine seemed like a natural fit.
I went to West Chester University, studied health science with a concentration in sports medicine and earned my master’s degree in athletic training.
I eventually joined Premier Orthopaedics, and I really couldn’t have asked for a better first job. I worked with a great group of people and was constantly learning.
What do you enjoy most about athletic training?
I love the variety and the relationships you build with patients. I can see an 11-year-old athlete and then a 93-year-old patient. We see sports injuries, arthritis and everything in between.
I’m often the first person a patient sees, so I hear their story and do their assessment before the doctor comes in. I also still do per diem athletic training, which gives me the opportunity to work directly with teams and athletes. I love being able to do both.
You enjoyed athletic training. What made you decide to pursue nursing?
I realized I wanted to do more. I’m someone who really likes to learn, and I wanted a career that would keep challenging me. I also thrive in a fast-paced environment.
In 2025, I started looking at nursing programs and enrolled at Gwynedd Mercy. I’ll finish in December, and I hope to work in the ER.
I feel like I was meant to take care of people and be with them when they’re most vulnerable and scared. I hope I can make a difference in those moments, because I would want the same for anyone I cared about.
What has it been like balancing a career while going back to school?
It has reinforced for me that your career doesn’t have to follow one straight path. Athletic training gave me experience and skills that I’ll carry with me into nursing. I’m not starting over — I’m building on what I’ve already learned and taking it in a new direction.
Your athletic training work recently brought you back to B&P. What has that experience been like?
It’s been great to be back. B&P doesn’t currently have a full-time athletic trainer, so I’ve been helping out when I can.
The current assistant athletic director was my volleyball coach when I was a student, and I still know many of the coaches and faculty. I haven’t been around high school sports consistently in a while, so it’s nice to have that again — especially somewhere that feels so familiar.
Is there something from your B&P experience that still influences you professionally?
B&P taught me how important it is to build good relationships with people and to trust myself.
I still remember something Mr. Barr, my freshman theology teacher who later led our senior retreat, told us: “Be a giraffe.”
Giraffes have spots. They’re different. They can’t hide in plain sight. His point was that it’s OK to be different and to be proud of who you are.
That has always stuck with me.
What advice would you give B&P students who feel pressure to choose the “right” career?
Don’t ever feel rushed. You don’t have to decide the rest of your life when you’re 18. You can change careers at any point in your life, and don’t let someone make you think you can’t.
Find something that interests you, learn as much as you can from it, and trust yourself if you eventually realize you’re ready for something different.