Lily Tantillo Scholarship

I never wanted to be the person athletes go to. It just happened because I showed up, consistently and unconditionally, and people saw it. My name is Karlyn Kelly, and I am currently a Master of Science in Athletic Training student at Northern Arizona University. My path into healthcare started as a volunteer in the athletic training room at the University of Arizona. My work was menial: folding towels, scraping tools, spraying tables with disinfectant, hauling laundry, and setting up for practice. But I was there every day, and I cared about every little thing I was given. I started off as an athletic trainer and worked my way up to athletic training technician. I stayed an extra year after graduation to get some more hands-on experience and a little more of a leadership role. I didn’t expect how much of this work was emotional, not just physical. One day, an athlete walked in to the training room crying, very upset, and whatever it was that was upsetting her was really getting to her. I didn't turn away or redirect her elsewhere. I sat down with her. I asked her how she was and really listened. I made sure she felt heard and that she didn’t need anything, and I told her something I meant sincerely: that she could come to me for anything, not just physical injuries but anything, and that I was a different kind of support than the coaching staff. I wanted her to know she had someone on her side who wasn’t judging her performance. That moment has stayed with me because I think it was about something I really believe: caring for people is caring for the whole person, not just the part that is injured or hurting in a way you can treat with tape and ice. Lily Tantillo knew that. She pursued a career in health and wellness because she truly wanted to help people become stronger and more confident and was known for the warmth, honesty, and loyalty she brought to every relationship. I see those same values in the work that I try to do each day. I also have tried to give back by mentoring those who are where I once was. When new athletic training technicians and volunteers came on staff, I’d take them around the training room and show them the ropes and make sure they felt like they belonged. I was proactive; I set things for basketball practices without being told and filled in where I was needed. My athletic trainer put that in my letter of recommendation, and I didn't realize how much that meant to me until I saw it in print, because it was a statement that quietly and consistently showing up is a form of leadership. I hope to bring all of that to NAU. I want to be a certified athletic trainer who treats athletes with the same wholeness I tried to give that day in the training room—technically skilled but also emotionally present. Someone athletes trust not just with their bodies, but with the hard stuff too. Lily’s light, as far as I understood her, was the kind of light that made people feel safe. That is the light I am working for.” And I am grateful to walk that path at the university she loved.