Exercise science program offers prep for next steps
Article By: Clark Leonard
The University of North Georgia's (ǧÃŬAV) kinesiology with a concentration in exercise science bachelor's degree program is excelling on multiple fronts. Students are growing their research abilities and presentation skills, and many of them are continuing to graduate school.
Charles Fuller, '22, is about to complete his first year in ǧÃŬAV's Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. Fuller, who was also a member of ǧÃŬAV's Corps of Cadets while he was an undergraduate student, earned a highly competitive educational delay from the Army to earn his DPT.
An internship with the ǧÃŬAV women's basketball team and a chance to assist injured cadets offered hands-on experience for him while earning his degree in kinesiology.
"The faculty help you choose a path where you can challenge yourself and make mistakes," Fuller said. "That's how you'll learn."
Helena Price, a senior from Dacula, Georgia, who is scheduled to graduate in May, is already preparing to begin her doctoral work in occupational therapy at Georgia State University within 10 days of graduation. Price's internship has been in occupational therapy with BenchMark Physical Therapy.
"The faculty get you ready for your future. I was able to walk into my internship knowing what I'm talking about," Price said. "The courses work cohesively to give me a good overall knowledge of the body and what it can do and what I can do as a therapist to help patients."
Our students are eager to learn and look for new opportunities to grow and develop their professional skills. We take pride in preparing the next generation of health care professionals.
Dr. Jenica Alvarez
ǧÃŬAV exercise program coordinator
Dr. Jenica Alvarez, coordinator of ǧÃŬAV's exercise program, is impressed with the initiative of her students.
"We prepare students who are interested in entering the clinical or allied health fields such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, exercise physiology, physician assistant, chiropractic, public health, and dietetics," Alvarez said. "Our students are eager to learn and look for new opportunities to grow and develop their professional skills. We take pride in preparing the next generation of health care professionals."
Mathew Soto, a senior from Crawford, Georgia, had the chance to work on research on a new supplement thanks to external grant funding. He is also a member of ǧÃŬAV's Honors Program. Soto, who begins his DPT program at Augusta University in mid-May, is grateful for the approach his mentors, like Dr. Parker Hyde, have taken with him.
"They stepped back and took a hands-off approach to let me do some of the research on my own," Soto said.
Soto never thought he would present at a conference, but that's exactly what he did at the Southeastern American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting in February. He was the only undergraduate student to present in his category at the conference.
"The faculty encourage and push us out of our comfort zone. That's been very helpful in going out and meeting new people and trying new things," Soto said. "It's OK to be uncomfortable. It helps you grow."
Hyde, an assistant professor, is glad to see the program's students having so much success.
"We challenge our students daily. We push them hard in terms of content mastery and prepare them to take their next steps successfully," Hyde said. "In general, our students are incredibly successful at graduate school admissions into their desired plan of study, and once in graduate school they don't just survive. They thrive."
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