We spoke with four of our current students about their lives, how their paths led them to UWS, and how their studies are building bridges to their personal and professional futures.
Micayla Batchlor, Doctor of Chiropractic Program
What jobs did you have before UWS?
I worked as a certified nursing assistant in nursing homes for a while, then in-home care. After I graduated, I ended up joining Teach for America, and through AmeriCorps, I taught in Southern Arkansas for two years.
How did your path lead to chiropractic?
My mom was seeing a chiropractor, and she loved it. So I was like, “You know? I’ll shadow her.” I vibed with the relationship she had with her patients, how she interacted with them, how they felt when they left her clinic. I loved that.
Why UWS?
I had honors in research [during my] undergrad, so evidence-based research, evidence-informed practice, is very important to me. I really saw that represented at UWS. It just seemed like the perfect fit.
Hunter Ward, Ed.D. in Sport and Performance Psychology Program
What jobs did you have before UWS?
It was an on-site facility doing individual training for special populations. [I guided clients] through individual training in lifestyle and nutrition, having consultations every week to navigate them through their health and fitness journeys.
How have you grown and changed since starting the program?
I feel a lot more confident. I’ve cultivated this sense of intuition that’s led to confidence for me. I feel like I’m offering services that match the needs or maybe even exceed the needs of some individuals.
What are your personal hopes for the future?
The overall goal is to be able to work with a professional or collegiate [sports] team during the season and have a private practice in the off season when I can come home, wherever home is, and be able to serve and work with the community.
Ori Barak, M.S. in Sport and Performance Psychology Program
How did your path lead to UWS?
There are two things I’m good at: I was a competitive swimmer in my youth and early adulthood, and I’m good at instructing. I took a course to become a certified swimming coach, and one of the classes was a very basic touch on sports psychology. It was like, “This is what I want to do. This is what I want to study.” I learned about UWS through the AASP website, and that started my contact to see how I could start school there.
How have you grown and changed since starting the program?
Learning about psychology in general and learning about sports psychology, I’m sure it’s making me a better person. It’s making me a better parent. It’s making me a better coach.
What are your personal hopes for the future?
I would love to combine my work as a coach and as a practitioner in sports psychology. I would love to be able to help both elite athletes and recreational athletes who need assistance and guidance in their endeavors in sports and performance.
Cameron Earle, M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program
How have the important people in your life influenced your career goals?
As it pertains to the program and all my desire to do counseling, work with people, and develop relationships: My mom is a preschool teacher, and I grew up helping her doing a lot of child care work. That was my intro into care service. She was a great educator of young kids and believed in allowing people to be themselves and express themselves. That had a big impact on me.
How have you grown and changed since starting the program?
Counseling is a career in which you’re not only developing professionally, but you’re being asked to develop personally. The way to be the best counselor is embodying [an empathetic worldview] in a way that is genuine. I think the program has done a really good job of keeping that in the forefront, not making this just an educational venture but something that propels your growth as a human being.