Sanaya Brewington planned to visit Puerta Vallarta over New Year’s Eve. Instead, she found herself on the sidelines of the Sun Bowl football game in El Paso, Texas.
“It was a surprise to me,” said Brewington, a senior in sports medicine who is scheduled to graduate in May 2026.
Brewington grew up in Bel Air, Maryland, about an hour drive northeast from Baltimore. She practiced gymnastics as a child and took part in cheerleading and track in high school.
“I just enjoy the sports environment,” she said.
The oldest of three siblings and 20 grandchildren, she chose to assert her independence by leaving Maryland for college. She toured North Carolina Central University (NCCU) during The Ultimate Homecoming Experience 2021.
“It kind of felt like home when I got here,” Brewington said. “Everyone I met was very welcoming.”
Earlier this year, the director of the NCCU sports medicine program, Mijon Knight, Ed.D., told her that Duke University wanted to collaborate. In July, she started a six-month internship with the Duke football team.
“I would help with rehab, taping, hydration, working alongside nutritionists and strength and conditioning coaches,” said Brewington. “I would work alongside other sports positions such as mental health, performance staff, coaches, recruiters, physical therapists, team physicians, equipment team, etc.”
She enjoyed the internship, although it had its challenges. She had to leave Maryland early during her summer break to start the internship. In the summer, she also had to arrive on Duke’s campus at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. and during the school year at 6 a.m. or 7 a.m.
Early mornings aside, she found the internship useful. She learned techniques she had not been exposed to in class such as using a Hivamat – a tool that sends mild electrical signals into injuries and speeds up healing – and shockwave therapy, which uses high-energy sound waves to deliver "micro-shocks" that restart the healing process in stubborn, chronic injuries.
“In my field, I think it’s a great idea to get any kind of experience whether it's an internship, a job or volunteer,” she said.
Knight agrees.
“Having various opportunities for internships gives students the ability to see what they like and what they don’t,” Knight said. “There are so many avenues a (sports medicine) student could aspire to. Physical therapy. Athletic training. Occupational therapy. Sports medicine physicians.”
Once Duke got invited to the Sun Bowl, Brewington cancelled her trip to Mexico and instead helped pack up Duke’s equipment and assist athletic trainers with athletes who needed last-minute treatment.
The team and support staff arrived in El Paso a week early. There were various activities leading up to the game including visiting a steakhouse on a ranch, exploring tanks and shooting blanks at Fort Bliss army base, eating barbecue and Mexican food.
On the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, she assisted in setting up on the sidelines, making sure the defense players stayed well hydrated and assisting athletic trainers with rehab. The Duke Blue Devils won the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils 42 to 39.
Brewington continues to work with the Duke football team and is earning college credit hours. Now an experienced intern, opportunities to structure her internship have expanded.
“I get opportunities to work with doctors, sit in on surgeries and facilitate my own rehab with athletes,” she said.
Post graduation, her initial thought is to work in a Division One or professional sports program.
“My big, big goal is to go overseas and work with sports or with the Olympics,” Brewington said.