Taking Advantage of Furman Engaged

Furman Engaged looked a lot different for me than I expected this year. I didn’t have any presentations, so I was just excited for a nice relaxing day off from class. Little did I know, this day had way more to offer me.

I started my morning at Tandem with my sister, and it was so nice to spend some time with her at our favorite crepe restaurant! I actually hadn’t had the chance to go all semester, so I loved finally getting to enjoy a breakfast off campus during the week.

At the same time, I was trying to figure out all my classes for the next semester because some courses I wanted to take didn’t fit into my schedule. I registered for classes the next day, so I was in somewhat of a panic trying to find different options. I talked to some upperclassmen Health Sciences majors about classes they’d taken and one of them told me about an internship class they enjoyed. I emailed the professor to see if there was any possibility to join her class in the fall, but I hadn’t heard back from her yet.

While I’m at breakfast with my sister, I get an email back from the professor telling me about a Furman Engaged presentation her students are doing about the internship program later that day at 12:30! I was so eager to hear about that possibility and talk to the professor that my sister and I got back to campus right on time. I went straight to the presentation and was hoping I could talk to the professor afterwards.

These presentations were about the FIT Rx and the FUEL internship programs in the Health Sciences department. At first, I had only heard about the FUEL internship that discusses nutrition and educating the public on healthier eating habits. Once I heard about FIT Rx, I actually realized it was a better fit for my career path! This internship is a like a training program where participants sign up to be matched with a student trainer that creates an individualized workout plan. I am hoping to go into physical therapy so this participant connection and hands-on experience would be perfect for me.

I loved hearing about current students’ experiences and after the presentations, the professor recognized me, and we had a chance to talk about questions I had about the program. After we chatted for a while, she said there were still a few spots open for the Fall semester internship and she would love to work with me in the class. I knew this would be such an exciting opportunity and a class that I would love!

This day was anything but what I expected. I started the day completely stressed about the next semester, but ready for a day with nothing to do. I ended the day with a fun and engaging presentation that led to the perfect internship for me next semester. I always knew Furman Engaged was a helpful day for students to present their research and findings to our campus, but I never knew just how much it could help!

All the love!

Andersen