First MSK Graduate Class: Kallan Campa
We had the opportunity to speak with Kallan Campa, one of the five students from the first graduating class of the MSK program,
Kallan Campa, who earned both a bachelor’s and master’s in kinesiology from PLU, shared about her experience pursuing the master’s in kinesiology.
Reflections from Kallan Campa, '21
I graduated with my bachelor’s from PLU in 2020. My major was Kinesiology with a concentration in Health and Fitness Education.
I first became familiar with PLU’s master’s in kinesiology during my junior year in undergrad when there started to be more talk that this program would begin in 2020. The faculty were all really excited, which piqued my interest and made me want to look into and apply to the program.
Eye-opening or valuable aspect of the program
I had an idea before entering the graduate kinesiology program of how vast the field of kinesiology is, but during the program, I became more aware of how many areas and careers the concept of sport psychology can be applied to.
The variety of interests in the cohort really exemplified how applicable these concepts that we were learning about (performance enhancement, resilience, effects of social interaction, equity, etc.) to many different career fields (education, military, coaching, recreation, medical, etc.)
Achieving long-term career goals
This program prepared me to achieve my long-term career goals by helping me to understand how to conduct research through the literature and offering many opportunities to engage in this practice.
This program has helped me to become a more critical thinker who seeks to unpack the layers of an issue or situation to best understand the why something is happening, as opposed to only the what.
Career after graduation
I am currently an elementary PE Teacher in southern California. The most pertinent part of the MSK program that prepared me to secure this position was the applied project itself. I created the beginnings of a curriculum that highlights the intersection between mental skills and social-emotional learning for middle school PE.
This project was something that I had the opportunity to talk about in my interviews and show that I was knowledgeable about social-emotional learning (which is a hot-topic in education right now) and had a little leg up with its application to mental skills.
Impactful faculty member
Dr. Karen McConnell was my faculty mentor for my applied project. Dr. McConnell helped to keep me accountable for agreed-upon deadlines throughout the program. She helped me to work to my strengths and supported me in areas that I needed help with. Her expertise and guidance helped me to create my applied project and have it be useful in its intended setting.
Advice for future MSK students
Be ready. Be ready to learn. Be ready to engage in thoughtful discussion with faculty and others in your cohort. Be ready to hold yourself to the highest standard of what you are capable of in every moment. And be ready to give it your all.
The community within the MSK program is top-notch, and you will be supported while having the liberty to create something that is meaningful to you and your academic/professional goals.
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Sign up for info sessionRead more: Check out more MSK experiences from Delaney Salter and Matt Leslie!
Thinking about getting a master’s in kinesiology? Connect with PLU today!
Ranked by Niche as the top Kinesiology department in Washington state and the Pacific Northwest, Pacific Lutheran University’s Master of Science in Kinesiology at Pacific Lutheran University combines a rigorous academic experience with real-world, impactful applications designed to address critical gaps in kinesiology training and practice.
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