In honor of  National Athletic Training Month, we are spotlighting alum, Dr. Jonathon “Casey” McGee, who graduated from Cumberland in 2001 with his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with an emphasis in Sports Medicine. Currently, he serves as the vice president and co-owner of Urban Physical Therapy, Inc. in Lebanon, TN where he is also a physical therapist. 

What were you involved in at CU? 

The Athletic Training program

How has Cumberland impacted you?  

Cumberland University provided me with the knowledge base and skills to successfully achieve my goal of becoming a physical therapist, a career that I love. Along the way, I developed friendships both with professors and fellow students that I cherish to this day. 

What did you learn at CU that still impacts you today?  

I learned that good things often come in small packages. Cumberland has grown considerably since I was there 20 years ago, but it is still considered a relatively small school. I could have gone to a much larger school than CU, but bigger is not always better. My time at Cumberland University has served me well.

Did you receive any scholarships while you were a student and if so, how did that financial assistance help you? 

I did receive a small scholarship offered to transfer students that had already obtained an associate’s degree. The Tennessee Promise program did not exist when I was attending college, however, I feel that it is a wonderful opportunity for prospective students.

Are there any professors or classmates who impacted your journey? 

Danna Armour Johnson and Danny Rogers were two of the professors in the Sports Medicine program that truly helped me in so many ways. They went above and beyond and I am grateful still to call them my friends. As the team athletic trainer for CU baseball, I was able to closely observe Coach Woody Hunt. Coach Hunt’s career is a testament that if you consistently do things the right way and treat people well, great things happen. I even met my current business partner, Oleg Urban, while on an internship through CU at the local hospital where he was then the Director of Physical Therapy; little did I know then what the future would hold.

What courses were particularly meaningful for you?

My undergraduate prerequisites in anatomy and physiology as well as foundations in athletic training and kinesiology truly prepared me well to succeed in similar graduate level science based courses at the next level.

What do you know now that you wish you had known when you were a student? 

College is only a short time in your life, but its impact will be immeasurable.

I look back fondly on my time at Cumberland University.