“It really made sense to go here,” Krystyn said. “It felt like this is what I wanted to do. On my tour I was like, ‘I can see myself going here and really enjoying it.’”
“I loved the campus for one,” she continued. “I also liked that the classes were smaller so I would know my teacher. I took tours at other universities where there would be 200 people in a class, compared to here where I would actually know my teachers and they would know me.”
A health science professions major from Odessa, building that relationship with her professors was important to Krystyn.
“One of my favorite professors - her name’s Chelsea Procter-Willman,” she said. “Learning with her is fun. I enjoy going to her classes and learning what she has to tell us. She is always willing to help me with anything. I have a good connection with all my teachers.”
“The material I’ve learned and the classes I have been able to take are going to help me succeed in PT school.”
In addition to working closely with faculty, Krystyn is able to get hands-on experience in the state-of-the-art lab settings located in the Health and Human Services Building.
“I’m a very kinesthetic learner, so doing hands-on stuff is so important for me to understand what I’m learning,” she explained. “Being able to use all the technology has really helped my learning accelerate.”
Set to walk the stage in December, Krystyn plans to apply to Angelo State’s physical therapy program.
“I’ll apply for PT school in August/July,” she said. “I want to do pediatric physical therapy, so I’ll go to PT school and then, hopefully, from there find a career. The material I’ve learned and the classes I have been able to take are going to help me succeed in PT school.”
Another big part of Krystyn’s Angelo State journey is her involvement with University Recreation (UREC).
“UREC is awesome,” she said. “I’m so glad that’s what I got into. I started by working at the front desk, and from there, I met my friends who played intramurals who asked me to play with them. I’m not the best at sports or anything, but it definitely built so many friendships, and it was just fun. We would even travel out of town. It was just good experiences to have.”
Not only does Krystyn participate in UREC, she’s a leader within.
“I was taking the yoga classes my freshman year,” she explained. “There was another teacher, and she was like, ‘You should talk to my boss and see if you can teach next year.’ It went from there.”
As Krystyn looks forward to what is next, she knows that her relationships within the Ram Family will continue beyond campus life.
“Getting involved is very easy and welcoming and inviting,” she said. “I feel like I know a lot of people here even if I don’t know them. I’ve built so many good quality friendships.”
