Leia Fooks earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology with a near-perfect GPA. “The faculty in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences is so knowledgeable and willing to do whatever to see their students succeed,” she said. “I am very grateful to have learned from them.”

After coming to UM from Pennsylvania, Fooks became involved in the school’s Guardrails Initiative. She provided telehealth wellness assessments and programs for UM faculty and staff – an experience that helped shape her career aspirations.

“As a Guardrails’ intern, I virtually assessed, educated, monitored, and encouraged clients to enroll in the research program using the HealthSnap, Inc. and Trainerize applications,” she said. “I created personalized workout and nutrition programs for my clients.”

During her junior year, Fooks realized that the information she was learning in the classroom was not well-known to the public. “I wanted to spread this knowledge about living a healthy lifestyle and Guardrails’ gave me that opportunity,” she said. “In addition, I truly believed in Guardrails’ mission of shifting disease care to health care.”

Now, Fooks plans to earn a master’s in public health so she can continue making a positive impact on people’s lives through health and fitness.