Alumni Spotlight—Paige Schober
Alumni of the College of Applied Health Sciences have myriad career options thanks to the tremendous diversity of programs. We periodically will put the spotlight on an alum to find out what they're doing now, what experiences they had and what AHS means to them. This week, we talk to Paige Schober, a KCH alum who now works as an athletic performance coach at UCLA.
Q: Why did you pick AHS?
A: I chose AHS because the areas I was interested in studying all fell in the cross section between science and research fields and the health and human study fields.
Q: Why did you pick KCH?
A: I knew I wanted to study Kinesiology because I was passionate about the growing field and all the areas one can take a degree into such as human performance and athletics.
Q: Which professors had the most impact on you?
A: I had so much respect and appreciation for Tina (Matilla) Greenlee, who taught and served as the teaching assistant for several of my courses in KCH. She was so helpful to me and supportive of my growth in the classroom and on the dance team as she was an alumni herself. Amy O’Neill also made a tremendous impact on me in how well she helped me map out my path with such care and consideration.
Q: What course did you most enjoy?
A: I enjoyed KIN 355, Biomechanics of Human Movement with Dr. (Ian) Rice. It was the first time I experienced a crossover between physics and physiology. I was very interested in the quantifiable aspects of movement and the technologies that accompany that tracking.
Q: Did you enter AHS knowing your career path, or did AHS help you decide?
A: I did not know my career path specifically, just that I wanted a career in movement. I started on the Physical Therapy track because it seemed like that was what most people did. It was Amy O’Neill that helped me explore all my options and ultimately discover the world of strength and conditioning through a summer internship.
Q: Did your AHS experience lead to your current job?
A: My experience in AHS absolutely laid the foundation for the rest of my career. I went on to earn a M.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Montana and now I work as an athletic performance coach at UCLA.
Q: What was your favorite on-campus experience?
A: I was a member of the Illinettes Dance Team, so my favorite experience was performing at football games in Memorial Stadium.
Q: What does AHS mean to you?
A: I’m so grateful for my experience in AHS because it truly laid the foundation for the rest of my career. I was exposed to literature, research, and technology at such a high level and it opened my eyes to the world of kinesiology. I learned tools and techniques that I carried with me into graduate school and into my career in exercise science and athletic performance.