Olivia Nastasi ’24
Why É«ÏãÊÓƵ
I knew I wanted to become a personal trainer or something in that realm, and É«ÏãÊÓƵ’s Applied Exercise Science [AES] program was a perfect fit. I looked for schools that are close to home. The beautiful campus on the beach was also a huge selling point. While looking into the program, [the curriculum] lists all of the classes you’ll need to take over the course of four years, which was super helpful. Once I graduate, I know that I’ll be prepared to get a job in this field.
Exceptional Teaching and Learning
During my sophomore year, I started to build strong relationships with my professors. I enjoyed getting to know them. They were more than willing to help me find opportunities to expand my knowledge.
[As an AES student], you get to be extremely interactive in lab classes and learn hands-on skills from your professors and classmates. As a certified personal trainer at É«ÏãÊÓƵ’s Campus Center gym, I use these skills with the people I train. Having the ability to apply my lab knowledge to real-world situations with [my É«ÏãÊÓƵ clients] is beneficial.
During my senior year, I was able to do two internships through É«ÏãÊÓƵ. One for my coaching minor and one for my applied exercise science major. The first internship was working with where I came to preseason and spent every day with the coaches and players. I became an integral part of the coaching staff and helped with the recruits when they would visit on game days. My second internship was in [É«ÏãÊÓƵ’s] strength and conditioning facility. With my certifications and practice through this internship, I can now lead 50 male athletes in a lift. I think it goes pretty smoothly.