The Exercise and Sports Science Association workshop will feature alumni speakers physical therapist Dr. Brandon Moss and physical therapist assistant Sarah Kazian at 7 p.m. on March 23 in Levinson Hall.

The ESSA, founded in 2016, has hosted many workshops this year such as career and internship opportunities, explaining various exercise science careers and hands-on topics such as stretching, foam rolling and power lifting. Speakers will also come to workshops and present new research.

“It’s one of those fields that if you don’t stay up with research, you’re going to get left behind,” Vickie Britton, faculty advisor for the ESSA, said. Exercise science is very broad. Someone majoring in exercise science can go into physical therapy, public and business health, sports performance, kinesiology, health coaching and much more.

“We want to demonstrate [the] career paths to be a physical therapist assistant versus a doctor of physical therapy,” Hannah Hill, ESSA president, said. At the upcoming workshop, Moss and Kazian will answer any questions students have and give short presentations on the differences and similarities between the two careers, why they chose the careers and what their accomplishments are.

Hill had the idea to host a workshop comparing and contrasting the two careers. “This is a question that I had to ask previously,” Hill said. “I think it would have been very beneficial for me [my] freshman year.” Hill is enrolling in a doctoral program for physical therapy this May.

“[The goal of the workshops is] to help the students clarify which direction the Lord is leading them,” Britton said. “A lot of people come in and they never thought of working with a [specific] population, and the Lord just leads them in that direction.” Although there has been limited attendance at workshops in the past out of necessity, anyone is free to come to the physical therapy workshop.

“One of our goals for our organization is to promote health and wellness for the entire campus,” Britton said. “A lot of our workshops would appeal to anyone.” Members go to a meeting once or twice a month, have access to the workshops and other events, and learn more about health in general. The association has representatives from concentrations in kinesiology, sports fitness and personal training. “I thought it would be a good opportunity to further my knowledge in the exercise science field,” Annelise Few, sophomore kinesiology major and a member of the ESSA, said. “There are multiple seminars and activities that I get access to that I normally wouldn’t have access to. It’s a big benefit in that sense. It’s a good way to network.”

“If you have any interest in exercise science, definitely join the ESSA,” Few said. “Even if you just want extra knowledge about health and wellness, come to the seminars or look into it. I think it’s really beneficial.”

Anyone who wants to attend the upcoming seminar can email Vickie Britton at [email protected].