Students

Student Corner

Message from MWACSM Student Representative Eric Leszczynski

Welcome to the MWACSM Student Corner! This is Eric Leszczynski, your current Midwest ACSM student representative. I would like to start by sharing that I am very grateful and excited to serve in this position for the next two years, and will do my best to serve the student interest during my time as your representative. With that said, I am very excited to share the Student Corner with you all, as this will be an excellent resource for students to use to find information on opportunities to get more involved in ACSM. Midwest ACSM is always looking for more student engagement, and I can personally attest to how important it is to be involved with such an impressive organization. I encourage students from all educational backgrounds to reach out, ask questions, and contribute time to getting to know more about MWACSM!

TOP 9 WAYS TO GET INVOLVED AS A STUDENT

1. Attend the Annual Meeting

The MWACSM Annual Meeting is held each fall and at various locations that offer an opportunity to travel and meet other students and professionals!

Interested in attending the regional or annual meeting but not sure how to afford it? Attend a meeting with other students and save money! We are taking names of individuals who would like to attend either meeting and share housing with other students to decrease costs. Perhaps there can even be transportation arrangements coordinated depending on location of those interested. Volunteer opportunities are also available for the ACSM meeting in the spring to receive a discounted registration fee. Contact Eric Leszczynski (email) for more information on these opportunities!

2. Showcase your Research at the Annual Meeting

Students are HIGHLY encouraged to submit their research for presentation at the annual meeting. Students may select between poster or oral presentations. It is a great experience and opportunity to showcase your hard work and network with others doing similar research. There is no fee to submit an abstract.

As a presenter, you are also eligible to receive student presentation awards.

Outstanding Student Poster Presentation at the Undergraduate, Master's, and Doctoral level
Outstanding Student Oral Presentation at the Undergraduate, Master's, and Doctoral level
Outstanding Clinical Case Presentation

The level of award is dependent upon the program in which the student was enrolled when he/she completed the work. All students presenting at the MWACSM annual meeting will automatically be entered into the competition unless noted otherwise on the abstract submission form.

3. Apply for an Award

Each year there are a variety of awards distributed highlighting the hard work and accomplishments of the students within our chapter. To be eligible for an award, students must be members of MWACSM. Not a member?! Click here for membership information.

Visit the Award pages for details on applications and deadlines.

4. Participate in the Student Quiz Bowl

Each year at the MWACSM Annual Meeting, teams of three undergraduate students compete in a Jeopardy-style Student Quiz Bowl event. Categories include, but are not limited to, exercise prescription, anatomy, EKG interpretation, metabolism, cardiovascular physiology, neuromuscular physiology, or any related exercise science course is fair game. This year we will have two elimination rounds consisting of 8 teams per round. The top 4 teams from each round will advance to a double jeopardy round with one final Jeopardy question. The winning team is awarded the title of MWACSM Student Bowl Champions and moves on to represent the chapter in the national Student Bowl competition at the ACSM Annual Meeting at the end of May. Space is limited to the first 20 teams (only one team per university may be registered). To secure your team’s spot at the Midwest Annual Meeting, preregister early by contacting the regional student representative, Eric Leszczynski at leszczy8@msu.edu.

5. Form an Exercise Science Club at your School

Starting an Exercise Science Club is a great way to get involved within your department, learn more about the area of exercise science, and gain leadership experience. There are a number of things you need to think about early on in the planning stages.
Learn how to start an exercise science club on your campus.

6. Initiate and/or get Involved with Exercise is Medicine on (your) Campus

Are you looking for a way to promote the values of ACSM within your local community? It is a great activity for Exercise Science clubs to coordinate! There are awards available to either help support a school launching a new EIM on campus or to help recognize outstanding EIM programs that are already established.
Learn how to form an Exercise is Medicine initiative right on your own campus.

7. Apply for a Mentor to Help Guide your Professional Growth & Leadership

The Leadership and Mentoring Program (LMP) is designed to provide a meaningful mentoring relationship aimed at guiding, advancing and inspiring individuals navigating their professional careers. This dynamic and reciprocal relationship facilitates career selection and advancement, accelerates professional growth, and offers exposure to networking and leadership opportunities within Midwest regional and national ACSM.

The program invites participants looking for a mentoring opportunity that focus on the professional needs of the mentor at various stages of growth including, 1) undergraduate students, 2) graduate students, and 3) professional levels.

Learn about LMP Program and access application forms.

8. Run for Student Representative for the MWACSM Board

We seek the viewpoints and input from our student members as the Chapter grows and evolves and one way we make sure the voices are heard is through our student representative. Consider stepping into a leadership role to help support, educate, lead and be a voice for our student members and beyond. A call for nominations is sent out to the membership in the fall prior to our annual meeting. A new student representative is elected every two years.

Need more information?
Nominations Chair - Angie Hillman [email]
Student Reps - Eric Leszczynski [email] & Grace Seibert [email]

9. Attend the National Student Advisory Committee Meeting

Are you looking for more ways to become involved as a student at the national level? Student representatives from every region within ACSM meet at the annual meeting each spring to plan student events for the upcoming year. These meetings are open to any student within ACSM that are interested in becoming more involved with the organization. For meeting details contact your regional student representative. Also, be sure to like the national ACSM Students Facebook page to keep up to date on other student news.