University of the Ozarks senior Abby Lewis’ experience in her kinesiology class during her sophomore year brings a hold new meaning to applying classroom knowledge to real life.
The health science major from Greenbrier, Ark., will graduate with Summa Cum Laude honors on Saturday, May 13.
Lewis was in Dr. Piroska Boros’ kinesiology class during the fall of her sophomore year and for the final group project her class was assigned to study and present on injuries and health conditions. Her group received the condition of Femoral Acetabular Impingement (FAI) and while researching the topic and discussing it with other members of the group, Lewis came to realize that the symptoms matched precisely those that she had felt for the previous four years. A member of the women’s soccer team at Ozarks, Lewis’ symptoms had gradually worsened over the years and had gone undiagnosed despite consultations with numerous doctors, physical therapists and athletic trainers.
“Through discussions with my group, one of the other members, also an Ozarks soccer player, informed me that another recently-graduated player had been diagnosed with this condition,” Lewis said. “I immediately contacted her and discussed her experience in more detail which further supported my belief that I also had this condition. After discussing it with my family, I made an appointment for an assessment with the orthopedic doctor that had diagnosed her condition. He confirmed that I did have FAI and that it had caused significant damage to the labrum in my hip from years of stress and abrasion. After having surgery to repair the damage and correct the condition, I was finally relieved of the pain and able to return to a normal life.”
That experience sparked Lewis’ interest in learning more about the health science field and she went on to become heavily involved in research as a student at Ozarks. She has co-authored several academic papers with her professors, including the published article, “Creatine Supplementation Improves Muscular Performance without Additional Impact on the Cardiovascular System in Trained Women.” She is also one of three U of O students who will present their papers later this month at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting and World Congress in Denver, Col.
“Being able to be a part in the publishing and presentation of research has had a large impact on my career path,” Lewis said. “Through these opportunities, I found my passion for research and that’s part of my aspirations to get my Ph.D. and be a professor. I hope that in the future I can lead research projects and be a part of many more so that we can advance the field of health science.”
Lewis said that through her studies at Ozarks, she quickly realized that a career in health science was her calling.
“Health Science is more important than some people realize,” she said. “It interconnects so many disciplines from other sciences and gives students broad understanding of health and the human body. It relates to everything from daily life, to nutrition and disease, to recreational activities, to advanced athletics. Covering such a broad range of topics is why I love it so much. This program gives you the ability to study in depth on every aspect of health that is important in not only health care but how we live.”
She credited her professors for helping her find her passion.
“Ozarks not only helped me evolve as a person but also my career choice,” Lewis said. “I have been able to connect with every professor at Ozarks and each has had a positive impact on me. Being able to connect with professors and hear them talk about their career paths inspired me. They would always positively support me and this helped me believe that I could have a future as an educator. Due to this program and all the professors that have been at the University since I started here, I now want to pursue a graduate degree and someday a Ph.D. in this field.”
Lewis said she also cherished her time as a member of the women’s soccer team at Ozarks.
“Athletics gave me a space to make deep connections and friendships that I would have never been able to make without that experience,” she said. “Being a student-athlete has its challenges, but it builds you into a strong and disciplined person. You are incredibly busy, but that helps you grow and you learn valuable skills in time management. Athletics also ties into my major since a lot of athletics is off the field in strength and conditioning which allows direct observation of much of what I am learning in the classroom.”
With support from her professors, Lewis navigated the grad school application process with relative ease and was accepted into her first choice, the exercise science graduate program at the University of Central Arkansas.
“Applications to grad school can seem really overwhelming, but I had a lot of encouragement and support from all my professors at Ozarks,” Lewis said. “They truly made me believe that I could pursue a graduate degree and be successful. Having confidence and determination is essential to success and their advice and support was and remains invaluable and I will forever appreciate their contributions to my life.”
Just days away from her graduation, Lewis said she felt blessed to have chosen Ozarks four years ago.
“It has been a very positive experience where I have learned, grown, and made a lot of really great friends,” she said. “I love the small community it provides and how close you can get to everyone around you.”
Topics: About, Academics, Health Science