A former student soccer player joined the Moorpark College athletics department as an athletic trainer.
Mariel Stegmeir, a 29-year-old former Western State Conference champion, is celebrating her return to the campus. Although being an athletic trainer wasn’t always her first choice, Stegmeir knew one thing for sure: she wanted to help others.
“When I came here I was thinking I wanted to do physical therapy or be a nurse,” said Stegmeir. “My high school didn’t have athletic training. I didn’t really know what it was; I just always knew I wanted to help people.”
Stegmeir not only decided to make Moorpark her permanent career home but also was once a Raider herself. She is a Ventura County local who grew up in Oxnard. After graduating from high school, Stegmeir decided to attend Moorpark to receive her Associate’s degree before transferring to a four-year university.
Her passion as an athletic trainer came during her time as a student athlete at Moorpark College. Stegmeir played on the women’s soccer team during the 2006-2008 seasons and was even a key player on the championship winning team during the 2007 season. After suffering several minor injuries, Stegmeir began spending a lot of time in the athletic training room and grew fascinated with what she saw. Shortly after her first semester in January 2007, she began her internship in the training room under Vance Manakas, then head athletic trainer.
Vance Manakas, the althetic director for Moorpark College, has helped Stegmeir throughout her time at and away from Moorpark. Manakas is very happy to have Stegmeir as a trainer on this campus.
“There is nothing better than having one of your former students taking over what you have done,” said Manakas. “She was a product of the student first philosophy and understands what it takes to be successful here.”
After graduating from Moorpark with an Associate’s degree, Stegmeir transferred to San Diego State University. In 2010, she received her Bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis on athletic training. She stayed at San Diego State and went on to receive her Masters degree in Kineseology with an emphasis on rehabilitation sciences in 2012.
After her graduation from San Diego State, Stegmeir was ready to find a steady job and felt she wanted a change. She picked up and moved to New York City where she would go on to work at two Division 2 colleges over the span of four and a half years. For the first three years she worked as an assistant athletic trainers at Dowling College and then eventually ended up at Long Island University where she would spend the rest of her time while living in New York.
Not long after, Stegmeir felt she was ready to come home to California but didn’t know where until she got a call from Cherisse Meichtry, one of Moorpark College athletic trainers. She told her there was a job opening at the college. Stegmeir, whose goal was to end up back at a community college, jumped on the opportunity.
“From day one, I have always loved the community college level,” Stegmier said. “I just feel its more intimate, you build a closer relationship with the athletes.”
Stegmeir even found an essay she had written during her transfer application process to San Diego State where she had said Moorpark was where she wanted to end up in 10 years. And exactly 10 years later, she is now back, a move that Stegmeir says has been a “dream come true.”
