Alumnus enjoys making life easier for patients

From athletics injuries to allergen immunotherapy, Alex Ward loves helping his patients live life to the fullest.

Originally from southeast Wisconsin, Ward wanted to go out of state for his undergraduate program. After his first visit to St. Cloud State University, he knew he was meant to be a Husky.

"When I visited SCSU and I heard about the athletics training program, getting to work with the hockey team — right away I thought, 'That's an opportunity I can't let go.' I toured the campus, had a great time, and I loved the area," he said. "I got to work with some fantastic athletes who I still follow professionally. You can go in any NHL game and see players I worked with and relationships I've formed with them. It's something I'm very proud of to this day."

In addition to working as a trainer with the Huskies men's hockey team, Ward was a member of SCSU's Rowing Club the entire time he was on campus. He still keeps in touch with his fellow crew members as well as other friends from his time at St. Cloud State. His college roommate was best man at Ward's wedding.

"Any of the relationships I formed at SCSU have always been huge to me," he said. "The relationships you build at St. Cloud are not just for college. Those relationships don't go away."

Ward earned his degree in athletics training with a minor in psychology in 2020 from SCSU. He then moved to Texas and completed his master's in sports and performance psychology. He currently works as a clinical allergy specialist — working with allergy scratch tests, compounding medicines and administering allergen immunotherapy.

From patients bringing in cookies to inviting them to his wedding, Ward enjoys building relationships with his patients.

"Being in health care has always been something I knew I wanted to do," he said. "Getting to help people is one amazing part, but getting to build friendships with each of my patients is what my real passion for the job is."

Part of those relationships is helping patients enjoy their lives without having to slow down or avoid things they enjoy.

"Working in allergen immunotherapy, I see patients with severe allergies to environmental factors. When they first get referred to me, they struggle to spend time outside doing the things they love," Ward said. "After treating patients I get to hear stories of them now getting to play outside with their kids, have pets, go on hikes or go camping. It's really great to watch them improve and have more freedom to do what they enjoy."

His field is one that will continue to evolve, Ward said, especially in Texas — "the allergen capital of the world."

"We're getting into more clinics, more patients, more background, and we're still finding studies that show the long-term effects of allergen immunotherapy. It's beneficial for up to 15 to 20 years," he said. "Especially when you're helping younger patients, it shows quality of life can improve for the long term. And that's really great."

Ward encouraged those considering degree paths to not limit themselves to one set area.

"Don't be afraid to branch out. My degree is in athletics training and sports performance psychology, and I work in allergy immunotherapy. Those skills, those ideas can be branched out in a million different ways. Don't put yourself in an academic box — just because you have X degree doesn't mean you have to do X thing. The skills you learn in undergrad or post-grad can be applied anywhere and those ideas can also help you blossom in the field you're in and have a different perspective," he said. "That's been huge in my area. The analytical plan side of athletics training was always: you have a problem, you come up with a prognosis and a plan to improve. That skill also goes with allergy care. You have a problem, you come up with a set plan and follow that plan, and you get the same results as you would with an injury but now with allergy improvements.

"The skills and experiences I had at SCSU set me up for a successful professional career. I may have left SCSU, but SCSU has not left me."