June 5, 2026

‘I would do it all over again’: Ferris State alumnus LeAnn Wilson moves from Middle East to pursue athletic training career

LeAnn Wilson can vividly recall the moment she decided to uproot her life over 7,000 miles away in the Middle East to take a chance on studying at Ferris State University.

Originally born in India and raised in Qatar, Wilson knew she would have more opportunities as a professional athletic trainer if she left home to study in the United States as an international student.

After vetting hundreds of schools nationwide, she said that her instincts told her Ferris State was the only right decision.

“I don’t know how I did research on all those schools, but I did it. I’m going through each one, and Ferris just stuck out. It’s this weird feeling that when you know something is right, it’s just right,” Wilson said. “So, I applied and the staff immediately responded and were extremely helpful.”

After what she called an easy application process with the university’s Office of International Education, Wilson was accepted and could hardly described the overwhelming feeling of moving to the United States.

She admitted that her first visit to the university came with a slight feeling of doubt considering the scenery, which led her to believe she was studying “in the middle of nowhere.” However, she knew within her first few days of living on campus that she was in the right place to pursue her associates and bachelor’s in Science.

Wilson anticipated a culture shock as an international student but noted that the dramatic change was much harder than she expected as she settled into her new life.

Fortunately, she found solace in other students who chose to study abroad, and later on found an opportunity to work with the Determined Dawgs Scholar Academy, which opened doors to create relationships and improve professional development more than she could have imagined.

Determined Dawgs is a relatively new, four-week summer bridge program designed to help aspiring, conditionally admitted Ferris State freshman successfully transition to college. 

Wilson was able to help oversee that success by providing mentorship and tutoring to her group of students but also built personal connections with each of them by going beyond the textbook and making social plans as much as possible.

In turn, this helped Wilson build confidence while learning more about herself.

“Honestly, it was a blessing because I thought it would be more of me teaching these new students on how to navigate college, but it turned out to be the kids teaching me,” Wilson said. “It’s such a symbiotic relationship where we are both giving and receiving, and a lot of those leadership skills I developed have helped me to be better in my career.”

The memories and skills she created through the opportunity is irreplaceable for Wilson, and her dedication to be a strong “pack leader” led to her being the first Bulldog to don the Determined Dawgs medallion during the spring 2026 commencement – an honor she’ll never forget.

“It meant so much to me. To be physically validated by your peers, and it just meant the world to me,” she said.

While she gained experience with the Determined Dawgs program, Wilson also worked with the Ferris State Athletics department as an athletic trainer.

She knew was making the right career choice as she was tested with each opportunity to help her fellow student athletes recover and stay healthy, while furthering her professional experience long before Wilson had her degree in hand.

Wilson couldn’t help but laugh while recalling her time aiding the sidelines during home football and hockey contests, as the experience with high-contact sports was far beyond unfamiliar.

“The adrenaline rush, the absolute chaos – honestly, I cried doing it. But don’t get me wrong, I thrived too, and I would do it all over again,” she said. “Working with the teams was honestly my launching pad for my career.”

Without any hesitation, Wilson agreed that her experience at Ferris State was second-to-none and changed her life for the better.

Now poised to earn her master’s degree, she said her experience as a Bulldog is what helped her decide to accept her Division III offer over a Division I institution to continue her education – primarily to have a better chance of building community to go along with a quality experience in the classroom.

“I got into a DI school, but Nebraska Wesleyan (University) is what I chose. I took the lessons I learned at Ferris State and decided on the smaller school. If it weren’t for Ferris, that’s something I would have never done. … I see another Ferris at NWU. I can’t wait to see what that journey holds.”