The 2009-10 academic year marks Jessica Pope's first year as an assistant athletic trainer within the Seahawk sports medicine department.  Pope is eager to start her duties as an assistant trainer as she brings a solid background in human nutrition and foods to the Seahawk training room.

The Woodbridge, Va., native earned her bachelor of science degree in business management in 2006 followed by a second bachelor's in human nutrition, foods and exercise science in 2007 from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.  Pope then completed her Master of Science degree in health and human performance with an emphasis in athletic training in 2009.

Pope comes to St. Mary's after gaining experience as an athletic training student in the CAATE accredited graduate athletic training education program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.  While there, she worked with the volleyball team, the men's and women's basketball teams as well as the men's and women's tennis teams.  Pope also served as the graduate assistant for the Dietetics Program Director at UTC, aiding the director with data management and research projects.

She is a member of several athletic trainers associations, including the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA).