FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – For the past year, Nova Southeastern University head athletic trainer Dustin Gatens has dedicated his time and effort to taking part in the Advanced Placement Capstone Program by serving as a mentor to Hialeah Senior High School junior Lorena Hernandez.
 
The program is designed to teach students how to investigate real-world topics from multiple perspectives. Students learn how to collect and analyze research with accuracy and precision, develop arguments based on facts and credible evidence and effectively communicate them through multimedia presentations. In AP Research, students conduct their own original research experiment with the guidance of a consultant.
 
The focus of Lorena's project was to answer the question "to what extent high intensity exercise would affect self-perceived stress levels in AP students". As a consultant and mentor, Gatens communicated with Lorena via e-mail and phone every week and served as a resource throughout the project, providing feedback and guidance, holding work-in-progress interviews, lending his knowledge and expertise of the field to the subject matter and much more.
 
"Being that Lorena did her research project on exercise and its potential effects on health. I was able to offer Lorena guidance on her project to help focus her research question," said Gatens. "Through the process, I was able to offer advice on her writing and help troubleshoot various logistical issue with her projects, i.e. methods of data collection."
 
Lorena just completed her yearlong journey culminating in a presentation defending her research and conclusions in which Gatens was present to both ask questions and to help assess the quality of her presentation. According to Gatens, Lorena's presentation and defense were exceptional and the quality of her work rivaled that done at the undergraduate level.
 
"This project would have been so much more difficult, if not impossible, without Mr. Gatens' help and guidance," said Lorena. "As for the gist of this research experience, I would describe it as enlightening. Not a lot of high school juniors are given the opportunity to conduct their very own research study on whatever topic they please. I feel extremely fortunate to have had this experience that separates me from my peers."
 
"In regards to Lorena specifically, I feel very privileged to be her teacher," said Lorena's AP teacher Griselis Reyes. "I can say whole heartedly she is a model example of what this program can achieve. I have seen a tremendous amount of growth in her writing, presentations skills and critical thinking. It is humbling that these students are completing work that we, as adults were only challenged to do once we were in our later years of college."
 
This is the first time Gatens has participated in a program like this, but he has extensive research experience in the athletic training field. Gatens was promoted to the position of head athletic trainer-research and development at NSU before the fall of 2013. Gatens previously served as an athletic trainer for the women's soccer, softball, and cheerleading teams since joining NSU in July of 2006. He currently oversees the health care of the Sharks' men's basketball team as well as spearheading research initiatives for the NSU Sports Medicine Team. 
 
Lorena has taken her lead from Gatens who it seems has inspired her to pursue a career in Sports Medicine.
 
"For the future, I hope to become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine focusing on sports medicine. The reason being is that I find the human body to be so complex and beautiful that it really does fascinate me, it's one of the reasons I chose to do a research study on exercise reducing stress because I strongly believe that the human body can heal itself to a great extent."