Kinesiology Outcome Story: How a Career of Purpose Began

Recently, I walked into the familiar gym I had joined five years ago during my freshman year at George Fox. A few current George Fox students were working out with middle and high school students, encouraging them and helping them learn new skills.

In another corner of the facility, a new coach was paired with a young boy, sharing an exuberant conversation in Spanish while doing dumbbell snatches.

It all made me stop and think about my own path – and the importance of mentoring the next generation in fitness and movement. 

Developing a Fascination with Movement

When I look back and consider the impact George Fox – and specifically the kinesiology program – has had on me, I have to paint a picture of my life before college.

I grew up with nine siblings, moved 18 times, and experienced COVID during my final two years of high school. Club sports weren’t an option for me, and before I started middle school, I realized there was definitely the “haves” and the “have nots” when it came to resources for youth sports.

My family instilled a strong love for movement. My mom held dance classes in our kitchen, and dad loved taking us bike riding. My family embraced movement in various forms, but not in ways that allowed me to build the skills I needed to play softball, the sport I loved.

I began lifting at the YMCA at age 13, at Planet Fitness at 14, and I eventually landed a free CrossFit gym membership at 15. Becoming strong and fast landed me a spot on the high school softball team, even though I lacked skill. Being part of a ministry family, I also learned from a young age that faith and service are the foundation for a meaningful and full life.

Fitness and Community

I knew that advancing my education in biomechanics, motor development, and health promotion would allow me to better serve the communities I’m called to. These values led me to pursue a degree at George Fox. I was more determined than ever to give the youth in my community the same outlet I had in high school through sport and CrossFit. It was where I felt the most seen, safe and heard.

From the time I began my degree, the professors in the kinesiology program encouraged me and pushed me to think about giving back to our community and increasing access to youth sports and activities. Their energy for teaching made me hungry to learn, explore and ask questions. I instantly felt known and seen by each of the faculty at Fox and looked forward to the classes I took each day.

Although I was on a different path than my classmates who were working toward pre-physical therapy degrees, as I shared my passion for creating access, many shared they had also observed or experienced the physical activity divide I was familiar with.

During my junior year, after studying abroad, I quit my volunteer firefighting position and transitioned my service focus toward creating opportunities for youth to move. I started coaching softball at Newberg High School and began dreaming about how to help youth with limited resources play sports and continue moving even as barriers continue to arise.

That same year, I landed the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship, which allowed me to continue pursuing my degree without financial burden, along with a stipend to explore youth physical activity accessibility during the summer. Following this, I worked closely with Tyler Whited, an assistant professor of kinesiology at George Fox who encouraged me to pursue a Richter Scholarship to study physical activity cost and accessibility for middle school youth in Washington County. I also interned with Forging Youth Resilience National and Underground PDX – both nonprofits working to give youth access to sports and help develop healthy physical activity habits from a young age.

Taking the Initiative

During the fall of my senior year, a small team of students and I launched a local chapter of Forging Youth Resilience (FYR), supported in its early stages by Angie Taibbi. After graduating, I traveled to Kauai to work with the Keala Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to giving youth free CrossFit memberships and classes as part of an alcohol and drug abuse prevention program.

Even though I’ve graduated, students continue stepping up to serve, encouraged by faculty and George Fox’s mission to live out faith through action. This year, our club is serving ages 9-18 through free classes three times a week. My role now involves recruiting and training current kinesiology students to serve youth in our community by creating low-barrier strength and conditioning classes. During other days of the week, I travel to three Tier 1 schools in Washington County to teach fourth- through sixth-grade students how to lift weights and have fun with physical activity.

Why I’m Thankful

Many of the youth I work with face the same barriers I did. Through my work, I hope to create opportunities for them to develop healthy habits and feel seen – just like my coaches and professors did for me. I also hope to create opportunities for other young people to use their skills and calling to give back to the community.

I would not be where I am today without my professors’ support. The way they truly cared for each student – and the classes they taught – affected me more than they could know. I will forever be thankful for my time at George Fox, the donors who generously supported university scholarship programs so I was able to attend college, and those who continue to work to create such a valuable, faith-based education for young adults.