Carrie Friedrich has always been passionate about health and wellness.
She took her first step toward that goal with an associate degree in general studies from Georgia Military College. But with her husband’s military service relocating them to Leesville, Louisiana — and each move making school more complicated — she needed a program that could move with her.
Her husband’s military service brought them to Leesville, Louisiana, and with each move, continuing her education became more difficult. She needed a flexible, high-quality program that could keep up with her life.
That’s when she found the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s online Health Promotion and Wellness program.
Owning Her Education
UL Lafayette’s online program offered Friedrich the flexibility she needed and introduced her to new tools that changed the way she learned and collaborated.
“When I started, I had no idea how to work with PowerPoints and things like that. But in courses like ENGL 474G: Document Design, we were able to use Canva and Google Docs to work together on assignments and projects,” says Friedrich. “Over time, it became a breeze to me.”
One of her favorite courses, HLTH 451: Stress and Stress Management, gave her practical tools she still uses today.
“I’m able to apply all the stress management techniques I learned to keep my own stress under control,” she says. “And now I can use those tools to help others.”
The hands-on learning didn’t stop with coursework. As part of the degree requirements, health promotion and wellness students have the option to dive into an internship or capstone project.
Friedrich chose an internship with the D.A. Turner YMCA in Columbus, Georgia, where she applied her classroom knowledge by conducting fitness assessments and guiding members on nutrition.
“Members would often ask about the best foods for weight loss or how long they should spend on different machines. Because of what I learned at UL Lafayette, I was able to give real, informed advice.”
Building a Career in Health and Wellness
Now holding her bachelor’s degree, Friedrich has already taken the next step in her career as a special education paraprofessional at a charter school in Madison, Georgia, where she works directly with students with special needs to ensure they succeed academically.
But she’s not stopping there. Next on her list is conquering the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam.
The program’s curriculum covers each core area of the exam, like program planning and ethics. She also hopes to earn her personal training certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine before pursuing assistant coaching roles in cross country.
“I wanted to earn my bachelor’s degree before taking these next steps, and I’m glad I chose UL Lafayette’s Health Promotion and Wellness program,” she says. “I can take these skills to any work setting I go to.”
Ready to make an impact on the health of your community? Learn more about the B.S. in Kinesiology, Health Promotion & Wellness online program.
