NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University’s School of Kinesiology hosted its Career and Pre-Professional Day on Oct. 26, giving students an opportunity to explore employment options and graduate programs in kinesiology and related fields.
The event brought representatives from universities, health care organizations and other employers to the School of Kinesiology Building. Students met with representatives to learn about academic requirements, internship opportunities and potential career paths after graduation.
Lauren Mitchell, assistant professor of kinesiology, pre-professional program director and undergraduate internship coordinator, said the event was organized to help students prepare for their next steps.
“In the School of Kinesiology, we are very focused on workforce development and career readiness. We wanted to host a career day and pre-professional day for all of our students to come and explore opportunities,” Mitchell said.
“It allows our students to talk one-on-one with either the admissions committees at graduate schools or the employers, and it gives them a head start into the career world or graduate school,” Mitchell said.
Participating graduate programs represented fields including physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training, speech-language pathology, cardiopulmonary science and health and human performance. NSU’s Master of Science in Health and Human Performance program was represented alongside programs from LSU Health Shreveport, the University of Louisiana Monroe, Texas Christian University and Southeastern Louisiana University.
Michael Moulton, professor and graduate coordinator in NSU’s School of Kinesiology, discussed the university’s Master of Science in Health and Human Performance program, which offers concentrations in sport administration, public health and exercise physiology.
“We allow the students to get the theoretical components, and at the end of the program the students have the ability to go to an internship site,” Moulton said.
Moulton said the program has helped students transition into careers related to their studies.
“We have been very successful with our students being placed in the field doing things that they love and certainly making a difference out there,” Moulton said.
Amanda Bernard, a representative of LSU Health Shreveport’s Department of Physical Therapy, said the event provided an opportunity to meet students interested in pursuing graduate education in physical therapy.
“We love the opportunity to come and to connect with the students and just be able to show that we have a spot for you if you want to pursue physical therapy,” Bernard said.
In addition to graduate programs, students met with representatives from employers in health care, sports, fitness, education and other fields. Participating organizations included Willis Knighton Health, Natchitoches Regional Medical Center, Rapides Regional Medical Center, Wheat Physical Therapy, Moreau Physical Therapy, D1 Training, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Lake Charles Gumbeaux Gators.
Melissa Olivier, a representative of Willis Knighton Health in Shreveport, discussed opportunities for students interested in physical therapy and fitness.
“We have physical therapy in all of our inpatient and outpatient settings,” Olivier said. “Kinesiology majors, if they want to come look into an internship, we have fitness centers at all of our locations.”
Bryce Fairey, who works with the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Lake Charles Gumbeaux Gators, discussed opportunities for students interested in careers in sports.
“The Gumbeaux Gators are a summer collegiate baseball league. We offer anything from working in social media all the way to gameday operations,” Fairey said. “We want as many people to learn from our organization as possible because it’s just a great opportunity.”