RecLIFE | Fall 2020

FALL 2020

ON THE FRONT LINES

ERIK LINDE

Find out how you can support the Texas A&M Sailing Team inside.

HOWDY,

The year 2020 has been a time of challenge, change, and collective positive thinking that led us to meet the mission of the Department of Recreational Sports.

Unique communication opportunities provided ways for all to stay connected. The usual technique of face-to-face communication was replaced in large part by electronic communication tools such as Zoom. I am proud to say that the disruption of normal communication did not stop the department from offering programs that allowed for professional development and student success.

There are many opportunities to give back to the Department of Recreational Sports. One such opportunity is associated with the Texas A&M Sailing Team. The team is working hard to raise $150,000 to purchase a new fleet of 12 sailing vessels. Their current fleet is almost 20 years old and no longer meets the needs of the club. Donations of any size will be accepted; however, the club will place a name designated by the donor of $10,000 on the hull of the boat. Donations can be made to the Texas A&M Foundation, Sailing Team, account number 05-58296. Once the goal of $150,000 is reached, the club will purchase the boats needed.

To donate online, visit https://www.txamfoundation.com/give.aspx. (Select Division of Student Affairs; then select An Unlisted Account; enter 05-58296; follow remainder of prompts.)

Checks can be mailed to: Texas A&M Foundation 401 George Bush Drive College Station, TX 77840-2811 Note Sailing Team Account: 05-58296 If you have any questions about the sailing team’s fundraising campaign, contact James Welford at jwelford@rec.tamu.edu or by phone at (979) 862-1856.

The Department of Recreational Sports wishes all a happy holiday season and new year. We hope you stay connected with us and that you consider supporting some aspect of our program through donations to the department.

Thanks and Gig’Em!

JAMES M. WELFORD Director of Development Department of Recreational Sports RECLIFE MAGAZINE | PAGE 2

CONTENTS Rec Sports Graduate Assistants

4

Texas A&M Sailing Team

5

Walk of Champions

6

Polo Road Rec Center

7

On The Front Lines

8

Our Response To COVID-19

11

Where Are They Now

12

Student Staff Scholarship Recipients

15

RECLIFE MAGAZINE COORDINATOR

Haley Castro

RECLIFE MAGAZINE GRAPHIC ARTIST

Antonio Garcia

Director of Development - James Welford Marketing Manager - Michelle Briggs Communications Manager - Kelly VonDrehle Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications - Mary Kalafatis

RECLIFE MAGAZINE | PAGE 3

Rec Sports

Graduate Assistants Mereyah Cage | Marketing & Communications

Mereyah is from Round Rock, Texas and completed her undergraduate degree right here at Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Telecommunication Media Studies and a minor in Business. She has worked with Rec Sports for three years and is now earning her Master of Science in Marketing.

Mereyah “enjoys getting to be a touch point of communication, leadership, and act as a liaison between the student and professional staff.”

Alyssa Moncrief | Facilities Alyssa is from Portland, Texas and completed her undergraduate degree at Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sport Management. With Aggies in the family, it has been Alyssa’s goal to attend Texas A&M University since childhood. Now having the chance to be a graduate assistant at Texas A&M, she is “ecstatic to be fulfilling one of her biggest dreams” while getting her master’s degree in Sport Management.

Federico Caballero | Strength & Conditioning Federico was born and raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico and completed his undergraduate degree at Iowa State University. He believes that there is no other institution with such a history and reputation as Texas A&M and says it’s a great feeling to be able to impact the student population in his role as the graduate assistant for Strength & Conditioning. He “wouldn’t want to be anywhere else” embracing the traditions and culture.

Amber Guthrie | Banquet & Conference Services Being a member of a Navy family, Amber has lived somewhere new like Italy, Virginia, or California every few years. She completed her undergraduate degree here at Texas A&M and couldn’t think of a better place to receive her master’s degree in Sport Management. Amber loves “the facility and the environment” and hopes to gain the professional skills that she’ll need to succeed within the program.

Serena Rodriguez | Sport Clubs Serena is from San Diego, California and received her Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs. Working in campus recreation helped Serena make the decision to apply for a graduate assistantship at Texas A&M, where the much larger school provided more opportunities for her to develop both personally and professionally while earning her master’s degree in Sport Management.

Brendan Amesbury | Aquatics Brendan is from Portland, Oregon and earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Oregon. He is pursuing a master’s degree in Recreation and Youth Development and believes this position will give him “further experience in the field of aquatics and campus recreation while assisting with professional development.” His favorite experience so far has been his first Aggie home game against Vanderbilt.

RECLIFE MAGAZINE | PAGE 4

Texas A&M

Sailing Team The Texas A&M Sailing Team has been competing since 1991 and during that time has sent five teams to national competition. With the team’s many accomplishments and experiences, the durability and condition of the boats they sail are critical to their participation in regattas, practices, and other events. The sailing team currently owns nine Vanguard 429s that have served them for almost 20 years. The time has come to invest in a new fleet to aid the team’s continuing success and growth in the coming years.

The sailing team spends long hours maintaining their current fleet, including repairing and replacing the rigging and fiberglass. The time it takes to upkeep the fleet takes away from the time they could be spending on the water. The team does its best work on preventative maintenance, but with the eight boats being pushed to their limits with racing drills, prevention efforts can only go so far. An investment in a new fleet will allow the team to focus on what truly matters— competing and experiencing the joy of collegiate sailing.

The team is aiming to purchase a new fleet of 12 Zim Racing 420s with brand new sails. This new fleet will allow for more productive practices and will enable more team members to be on the water at the same time in the future. The new fleet will also enable the team to host more events, which will attract a higher level of competition and skill for them to compete against in the future.

The sailing team has established a goal of raising $150,000 towards the new sailboats. As Aggies with devotion and passion for sailing, the Texas A&M Sailing Team is asking for your support.

If you have any questions about the sailing team’s fundraising campaign, contact James Welford at jwelford@rec.tamu.edu or by phone at (979) 862-1856.

RECLIFE MAGAZINE | PAGE 5

Walk Of Champions The Walk of Champions Brick Campaign features bricks engraved with the names of students, employees, and friends of Texas A&M. Together we can ensure that the values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service are instilled in all Aggies.

A portion of the funds from the brick campaign go toward the Walk of Champions Endowment.

To learn more about getting your own brick in the Walk of Champions, contact James Welford at jwelford@rec.tamu.edu.

LET US TELL YOUR

AGGIE

STORY

Were you a part of Texas A&M Rec Sports?

We love hearing about your experiences with Rec Sports. Everyone has a story, and we want to hear yours!

To learn more about having your story featured in RecLIFE Magazine, contact James Welford at jwelford@rec.tamu.edu.

RECLIFE MAGAZINE | PAGE 6

Polo Road Rec Center Get excited, Aggies! The time is nearing to open the new Polo Road Rec Center! This will be the first ever additional location for an indoor recreation facility at Texas A&M. The new facility, located near University Drive and Polo Road, will provide easier access for students on the main campus as well as more square footage to relieve overcrowding at the Student Recreation Center. Having an additional facility on campus will create more options for students to engage in recreational activity.

All currently enrolled students and Rec members will have access to the new Polo Road Rec Center. Prior to opening in January 2021, new employees will be hired and trained to staff the facility. Hours of operation will match those of the main Rec Center.

For more information, scan the QR code below or visit tx.ag/PoloRoadRec.

The Polo Road Rec Center will share space with Transportation Services and Dining Services in the new Polo Garage Facility. Popular dining options such as Shake Smart, Salata, and others will be available to students coming and going through campus.

RECLIFE MAGAZINE | PAGE 7

On The Front Lines How was life before COVID-19? What are some changes at work since?

Life and work were both as normal as they could be.

Work is always busy, but one hospital closed near mine before the pandemic happened, so it made us extremely swamped. But now, COVID-19 has definitely made the hospital less crowded with visitors and weeded out many unnecessary visits. The ER is nearly empty, and that is a rare sight. I’m not sure if it is due to fear within people to leave their homes or an increased self-awareness as to what is really an emergency. This pandemic has definitely induced more strict policy on hospital procedures. Just like everywhere else, we have had to adapt to some large changes as far as safety protocol. Despite the changes, we have always had safety procedures in place for public health and continue to help and treat those who need us, including non-COVID patients.

ERIK LINDE ‘12 | Nurse What year did you graduate and what was your area of study?

I graduated in 2012 with a degree in Nutrition, and then I went on to Scott and White School of Nursing at The University of Mary Hardin Baylor.

What was your role at Rec Sports, and how was your experience?

I worked in Facilities and enjoyed every minute of doing that. The work experience was nice to have while in undergrad and gave me the opportunity to learn and grow personally and professionally. I definitely met some great people in my time, and I am proud to say that I keep in touch with most of them today. Many Rec Sports employees have since gotten engaged and married, like me, so it’s nice to follow each and every one of their lives today.

How long have you been in the medical field? Where are you currently practicing nursing?

I have been nursing for almost four years now, and I am currently in Emergency Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. I never know what is going to come through the doors or what I am going to see. So, my workday is never the same.

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How did your time with Rec Sports possibly help you prepare for what you are doing today?

Rec Sports definitely helped me develop better communication skills and adaptability. My position and daily tasks encountered their fair share of changes and dilemmas. During my time there, the Rec was being renovated, so we had the majority of the weight room in gym space and everything was not in its normal place.

As I work in emergency medicine today, I am thankful for my Rec Sports job that allowed me to develop.

How are you feeling? Optimistic about what is to come? What are some of your hopes/thoughts moving forward?

I do my best to stay positive. It’s been a trying time for sure, especially because hospitals have had to change the way that they operate. That in itself has been difficult. We’ve all basically had to face a 180 in the way we operate hospitals and in how we go about everyday life. No one can really prepare you for a pandemic like this, so I just do my best to keep an optimistic attitude. I hope that we will return to some state of normalcy with a routine in the future and right now no one really knows what that “normal” will look like. Research is being conducted each day, and while there is much uncertainty on what our lives will look like in the coming months, I think remaining hopeful is something we can all do.

KATIE RAINS ‘16 | Nurse What year did you graduate and what was your area of study?

I graduated in May of 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Health Education. I worked in the ER at St. Joseph for a while, and they actually ended up talking me into going to nursing school. So, I moved back home and earned my associate’s degree in Nursing at Grayson College in December of 2016. I then went on to earn my bachelor’s degree in Nursing online in May of 2017.

I did everything a little backwards, but it got me to where I am today!

What was your role at Rec Sports, and how was your experience?

I worked three of my undergrad years at the Rec Center.

I started out scanning IDs at the front and eventually ended up at the Member Services desk. That was my first job that wasn’t just a summer job, so I learned a lot about communication and customer service. We had a lot of co-workers, so learning to work well with others was essential.

How long have you been in the medical field? Where are you currently practicing nursing?

It’s been about seven years total with everything, but I have been a nurse for about three-and-a-half years. I felt a little lost before nursing. I still live in the same small town that I grew up in, and now I enjoy Whitesboro so much more as an adult.

How was life before COVID-19? What are some changes at work since?

My schedule really stayed the same for the most part, but a lot of the interworking of the hospital changed. The biggest change has been not having visitors anymore, so we have had to change a lot of our communication

with both patients and family members. It’s sad because I will have some patients that have been married for 50–60 years and tell me how this has been the longest they have ever had to be away from their wives or husbands. It puts in perspective the way that everyone’s hardships during this pandemic are so different. Of course, we are now having to wear more protective gear as we are working each day. We have to wear masks and goggles each time we walk into patients’ rooms, and on my floor, we have to isolate the area extra hard because I work in Oncology. With our patients being immunocompromised, it is much more important for us to prevent other COVID-19 patients near the floor. We’ve done our best to understand how hard this time is for those needing their loved ones beside them. Many of the staff will go around with iPads so patients are able to see their families via Facetime or Skype. Technology has helped us, to say the least.

How did your time with Rec Sports possibly help you prepare for what you are doing today?

Communication was a huge thing for me. I am a little more on the shy side, so my comfort zone was pushed.

It takes me a long time to get to know people, so I remember that time and use it towards how I interact with co-workers today. You always think back on your first real job and reflect on the “do’s” and “don’ts.” Being able to multi-task and handle a busy schedule as a student definitely prepared me to be adaptable today.

Working under pressure was also a huge lesson for me.

Today my job is very pressure oriented, requiring me to think on my toes and provide solutions to situations rather quickly. Though Rec Sports and my job today are very different, they have their similarities.

How are you feeling? Optimistic about what is to come? What are some of your hopes/thoughts moving forward?

I am feeling hopeful because it is already getting better at my facility. We are more rural, so I can’t speak for the large cities like Dallas or Austin, but it’s nice to see some progression in your own backyard. Other parts of the hospital are being amped back up because we had to shut down at least one or two floors and some of my co-workers were furloughed. It’s upsetting to see some people being defiant towards protocol and quarantine guidelines, so that causes a little bit of worry that people will be too relaxed about the severity of the pandemic.

All we want is for people to be mindful of themselves, strangers, and the future. At the end of the day, we are all doing our best to care for all of you, so we hope that people also want the same in return. There is a lot of hope at work for me and for patients. I believe that if we do our part, we can all fight this together.

RECLIFE MAGAZINE | PAGE 9

On The Front Lines KATIE KUNZ ‘20 | Nurse What year did you graduate and what was your area of study?

I was a dual-degree candidate at Texas A&M. I graduated in 2016 with my Bachelor of Science in Health and then again in 2017 with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

How was your time at Texas A&M and your experience at Rec Sports?

My time at Texas A&M was amazing. I was fulfilling a life-long dream of mine to attend TAMU. My time with Rec Sports added value to my experience at A&M; I made so many additional friends, met so many amazing people, and learned valuable life lessons while working at Rec Sports.

How long have you been in the medical field? Where are you currently practicing nursing?

I am going on my fourth year of being a nurse. I worked at Cook Children’s in Fort Worth where I completed the critical care nurse residency program and then went on to work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for two years. I then moved to Austin and worked at Dell Children’s in the Emergency department. I recently decided to switch it up and I am now the primary school nurse for one of the middle school clinics in the Pflugerville ISD. How was life before COVID-19? What are some changes at work since?

Life before COVID-19 was great; I had recently moved to

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Austin and was getting used to the new city and making new friends—and then COVID-19 hit. Working in the Emergency department, staff was essentially exposed, knowingly or unknowingly, to COVID-19 nearly every shift, so I truly lived in isolation and a constant state of quarantine due to fear of possibly spreading it. I just hung out with my dog and cat at home, by myself.

Work dramatically changed; we were getting new updates from management about change in policy or procedure by the hour sometimes. Working in the ER, we were already trained to just roll with the punches, so that wasn’t anything new. The number of patients we saw in a 24-hour period dropped dramatically. With this drop in numbers, we were asked to float to other units, including the adult hospitals, to help out where we could.

How did your time with Rec Sports possibly help you prepare for what you are doing today?

Nothing could have prepared us for such a life altering event that would affect so many people across the world. Individually, Rec Sports did help teach me that being adaptable in any situation will only help things get better. I adapted by changing units and taking completely different patient assignments for over three months. Now, working in a school district during the day, I am so thankful that the changes this year led me here.

How have these chains of events affected you personally? Have you had to make any sacrifices?

The last several months have been nothing but constant change for me, but it has all been changed for the better! I think the biggest sacrifice was having to self-isolate for so long. I love socializing and hanging out with my friends and family, so not being able to see anyone outside of work from March through July was difficult. Once I moved to the NICU, I then worked on a clean, COVID-free unit, so I finally felt safe seeing my friends and family again!

How are you feeling? Optimistic about what is to come? What are some of your hopes/thoughts moving forward?

I remain optimistic. Technology, testing, and treatments are all constantly evolving, and we are seeing new scientific discoveries with each day. We are headed in the right direction.

COVID-19

Our Response The Rec Center closed for eight weeks during the Spring 2020 semester, but this didn’t stop Rec Sports from serving Aggie students and encouraging healthy living. Extensive efforts were undertaken to provide patrons a safe, clean facility in which to recreate and work out, as well as numerous virtual options in which to participate and stay connected.

Though 2020 was a difficult and complicated year, the mission to promote activity, wellness, and development by providing high quality, inclusive experiences and facilities for the students and community of Texas A&M University was achieved through various positive actions.

500

220

Virtual Rec-A-Palooza Participants

Planned Events Canceled

407

420

Group RecXercise Virtual Classes

ESports Participants

5,178

3,517

Fitness Class Video Views

Outdoor Adventures Workshop Video Views

In response to COVID-19, Rec Sports: •

Was one of the first Rec Centers to reopen safely during the pandemic.

•

Offered live virtual and recorded fitness classes.

•

Launched ESports and created workout and outdoor skills videos.

•

Implemented safety measures and required reservations to climb, swim, and lift.

•

Used courts to administer roughly 7,800 COVID-19 tests (as of Oct. 2020).

•

Designated rooms to be used for 12 academic classes.

RECLIFE MAGAZINE | PAGE 11

Where Are They Now... the opportunity to work in DeAun’s office as her student assistant and as a personal trainer under Jerod Wilson.

When DeAun gave her the opportunity to assist with training new teachers, Lauren’s perspective of a fitness career really blossomed.

While Lauren and her husband were living in Austin, Texas, they welcomed their first baby. After this, Lauren decided to start her own barre education program, called PulsePointe barre, which certified new instructors with an eight-hour training course and several two-hour workshops. This began as a sort of “grass roots” business, as Lauren likes to call it. Others she had met in the industry, including university fitness professionals, would ask her to help train and mentor their staff. Eventually, PulsePointe barre grew to a team of about five master trainers, and they would travel to shows and events together. In 2017, the business got so big that Lauren knew they needed to either hire a full-time staff or expand with other options.

LAUREN GEORGE ‘10 Growing up, Lauren always loved recreational exercise and can remember doing workout videos in her living room as a young girl in elementary school. Once she got to high school, she asked her parents for a gym membership, and that is when she knew it was truly something she wanted to do. After coming to this realization, Lauren went through Rec Sports’ Fitness Instructor Training (“FIT”) program during her freshman year at A&M. “I’ll never forget DeAun Woosley (former Rec Sports fitness director) popping out of the closet on the first day of training, dressed head-to-toe in full ‘80’s workout gear, and so I knew on that first day I was in the right spot for me!”

Starting out, Lauren was a political science major.

Being in a kinesiology class in the fall of her freshman year and participating in FIT in the spring, she was able to see a vision for what a career in group fitness could look like for her. This was a turning point for Lauren as she made the huge decision to change her major to sport management. Lauren never looked back.

During the summer after her freshman year, she began team teaching at the Rec Center, per Woosley’s technique to train new instructors. Lauren also had

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Lauren was approached by a company called Savvier Fitness, who owns Barre Above®, asking if she would be interested in merging the educational content of PulsePointe barre with that of Barre Above®. Lauren says, “This opportunity in 2017 was even better than I could’ve hoped for.” Now, Lauren, Trisha Murphy Madden, and Leslie Bender are co-creators of Barre Above® and they have a team of about 70 master trainers. Together, the three have trained thousands of instructors, and Lauren has the honor of presenting at fitness conferences around the country.

Many doors have opened in Lauren’s fitness career, including opening a brick and mortar fitness studio in Clemson, South Carolina called Clemson Fitness Company. They offer roughly 45 classes per week in 14 different formats. Lauren keeps very busy with her fitness studio and has found much success with it over the last three years. She is forever grateful that her business is very well received by the community.

Being a full-time mom and studio owner doesn’t stop Lauren from achieving more. She also owns her own consulting firm where she is able to consult with other studios and fitness entrepreneurs like herself. This gives her the opportunity to mentor new instructors and new business owners. Mentorship has remained a love of Lauren’s since her time at Rec Sports. You can

listen to Lauren on her podcast, “Fit and Fierce on the Mic,” which she co-hosts with one of her former students from the University of North Texas who is also a master trainer with Barre Above®. Lauren is also a master trainer for Balletone™, a ballet inspired cardio class, and Cardio Yoga™.

At Clemson University, Lauren is an adjunct lecturer who teaches non-profit leadership. Even though Lauren is no longer in campus recreation, this allows her to stay in contact with students, which she absolutely loves.

An important lesson Woosley taught Lauren during her time at Rec Sports was: “if you can teach step, then you can teach anything.” When students auditioned to teach at the Rec Center, they had to audition in step or kickboxing in order to properly teach to the 32-count. This didn’t come easy to Lauren at first, and DeAun continuously encouraged her with the idea that “someday she would just get it and have it forever.”

DeAun was right—one day Lauren did. Now Lauren is well-known for creating the “Musicality Method” which teaches instructors how to both teach to music and cue to music. This has contributed to Lauren’s success in helping other instructors create the perfect atmosphere for their students, and she says she owes it to DeAun for all of those years of encouragement and guidance.

director, Dennis Corrington, for being so supportive and encouraging not only to her, but to all of the staff.

“You could see that they cared about all of us as people and as students.”

Lauren commented, “I realized a long time ago that my passion was creating amazing workout experiences for my clients and mentoring the next generation of fitness instructors.” Although Lauren and her husband have moved many times, and she has held almost every job you can think of in the fitness industry, no matter what job she takes, Lauren wants to be able to do these two things: create and mentor. “I read in an article that your job should be an expression of your passion, and so if you change jobs, that’s okay, as long as each job you have allows you to express your passion.” Lauren states, “I’ve been open to the opportunities that have presented themselves to me as well as created my own opportunities with the passion that I was given.

I’ve allowed myself to explore different opportunities, always knowing that what really made me happy was creating and mentoring.”

DeAun Woosley was more than a mentor to Lauren; she was like a second mom. Even today, Lauren still goes to DeAun for career and life advice. In fact, Lauren isn’t sure if she has ever interviewed for or accepted another job without talking with DeAun first because of the wisdom and comfort she provides. Finding the joy in teaching was something DeAun always taught Lauren; if she wasn’t “feeling it” by the third song, then she was encouraged to take a break or go to a fitness conference to find her groove again. Lauren doesn’t recall DeAun ever panicking about any situation during her time teaching. Everything was always handled with a smile on her face and confidence that everything would be figured out. DeAun taught Lauren many lessons that she still carries with her today, including the concept that teaching should be fun and that it should always be about the students. Her support, positivity, and amazing way of handling stressful situations gave Lauren the push she needed towards her fitness career.

Many others at Rec Sports also had a huge impact on Lauren. From the fitness instructors she worked alongside to the instructors and students she helped train, Lauren maintains those tight bonds today.

“They will always hold a special place in my heart,” she states. Lauren is grateful to Rec Sports leadership, including Rick Hall, Jerod Wilson, and former executive

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Where Are They Now... allowed Alison to continue to grow, both personally and professionally, after graduation. She knew that teaching at the Rec was becoming more than just a hobby, so Alison worked to find how she could make fitness a future career. Once DeAun witnessed Alison’s drive and passion, she began giving Alison more opportunities, such as leading BootCamp classes and working in the office on administrative tasks. During this time, Alison was also able to begin mentoring new fitness instructors.

ALISON GALVAN ‘09 Born and raised in Lincoln, Nevada, Alison Galvan is a lover of fitness, proud owner of EnergyX Fitness, wife to Danny Galvan, and former Rec Sports employee that continues to excel in mentorship today.

After transferring to Texas A&M University in the fall of her junior year in 2008, Alison found the Fitness Instructor Training (“FIT”) program at Rec Sports while pursuing a degree in kinesiology. She immediately hit the ground running with mentorship and exercise as she loved helping others get healthy while also doing something fun and beneficial for herself. During her junior year, Alison was able to earn her fitness instructor certification through the FIT program, and it was also through this program that she established some of the most important, lifelong friendships and relationships that she still holds close today.

Since moving so far away from home, the Rec really became Alison’s second home. As college is such an important part of each of our lives, it was important that she found DeAun Woosley, Lauren George, and many others that she was able to work with. The FIT program opened a door to many opportunities that

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As Alison completed grad school, she met her husband, Danny, at the Texas State University Rec Center. She really took a leap of faith and opened the doors to her very first fitness studio, EnergyX Fitness, in the heart of San Antonio in 2015. EnergyX Fitness has been nothing short of a success as Alison and Danny just opened a second location in San Antonio about six months ago.

When Danny isn’t helping Alison coach at their studios, he stays busy working full-time for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Alison truly has a heart for inspiring people to be better.

Better in their relationships, careers, fitness, and just about every aspect of their lives. Outside of her successful and inspiring fitness career, Alison works hard each day to continue creating opportunities and memories with her family outside of the fitness world.

Reflecting on the many successes she has achieved throughout her career keeps Alison ambitious and hungry to excel in all aspects of life. When asked where she would like to be in ten years, Alison replied, “I can’t say where I’ll be in ten years, but I know that everything I do today is making me more prepared for what is in store in ten years. I am always looking for what is going to make me better, just like I do with my clients.”

When asked, “What advice would you like to give to any ambitious students at Texas A&M University?” Alison stated, “Don’t skip the steps. Do not think that you need to be successful immediately. The steps are there for a reason.”

Student Staff

Scholarship Recipients Katarena Hess ‘21

Kayla Aston ‘23

Rec Sports Scholarship

Rec Sports Scholarship

Rebekah Perea ‘21

Cade Anderson ‘21

Rec Sports Scholarship

Rec Sports Scholarship

Sydney Hilton ‘20

Valeriia Grinko ‘20

Dennis Corrington Leadership Student Staff Scholarship

Rec Sports Scholarship

Ryan Madison ‘21

Casandra Owens ‘19

Supply Chain Management

Math & Science Education

Community Health

Master of Recreation, Park & Tourism Sciences Rec Sports Graduate Division Scholarship

Zachary Taylor ‘22 Biomedical Science

Mary and David Chovanec Facilities Student Staff Scholarship

Engineering

Industrial Distribution

Aerospace Engineering

Cultural Anthropology PhD Patsy Kott Outdoor Adventures Student Staff Scholarship

Gracelyn Nicole Jones ‘21 Sport Management

Walter L. “Penny” Penberthy Intramural Student Staff Scholarship

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Department of Recreational Sports Texas A&M University 4250 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-4250

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID COLLEGE STATION PERMIT NO. 215

Southside Rec Center—Coming Summer ‘22