Teacher: Mr. Smith
What college did you go to?
I went to Lower Columbia in Longview, Washington and the University of Washington.
What did you major in?
Kinesiology, which is a fancy way of saying P.E..
Why did you choose kinesiology as your major?
To be perfectly honest, when I first got out of high school, it wasn’t my intent. I was thinking business. As time went on, I began to realize that the people who had the most influence on me were my high school teachers and in particular, my P.E. teachers. I thought it would be fun to pay that forward, maybe I can reach out and have an effect on some other kids like my teacher had on me. I love athletics and I’ve enjoyed wrestling before so it seemed like a natural fit to me.
For someone in high school who is interested in kinesiology, what classes or paths should they take?
When you get to college, it’s a good idea to do a lot of different things. If you’re really focused on something, there’s a list of courses you gotta take anyway. But if you’re not sure, do a variety of different things and you’ll stumble upon something that interests you. Talk to a lot of people, do a lot of things. Sometimes it takes years, and so don’t worry about it! I mean, freshmen don’t know what they’ll do but don’t worry about it! Take your time, it’ll come.
What degrees do you have?
I majored in kinesiology and I have a minor in history.
Best memory?
I met my wife!
Worst memory?
It probably had to do with a wrestling match that I had where I hurt my shoulder and I tried to go back in and I was really beat out of shape and had the snot beaten out of me.
Were you part of any frats or sororities?
I was, Sigma Nu. I liked it because there was no hazing involved and had study hours.
What is one thing that you would tell your high-school self after going through college?
I was pretty focused on athletics in high school…to the exclusion of everything else. Go to a couple of dances? Get involved in some community affairs? Other than that, I actually had a good time in high school and had some good experiences.
What do you want to say to the graduating class of 2018?
Try a lot of different things, be serious about your academics but don’t forget to have fun!
Into the Jungle 