Learn how this fitness instructor went from overweight as a child to a fitness faculty lead.
When you look at Bryan University fitness faculty member, Sean Preuss, you would never have imagined that when he was a child, he was obese. He knew he had to change so he sought the advice of family members, who recommended exercise. Shortly after he turned 12, he started strength training and has been hooked ever since. He loved it, and it shaped his career path. Sean started working in a gym at 16 and became a personal trainer a month after his 18th birthday. After college, he worked as a personal trainer in New York City, moved to Phoenix, and then worked in various roles in fitness (management, trainer development, corporate wellness, post-rehabilitation). He then went to graduate school at ASU ultimately leading him to teaching and Bryan University.
As a grad student, he was asked to serve as the Teaching Assistant for a course. Sean truly enjoyed the experience, and that was the first time he started seriously considering teaching.
His students are the beneficiaries as he enjoys playing a small role in helping progress their lives, whether it’s related to their careers or personal lives.
When asked about his favorite part of his job, he talks about the unique setup at Bryan University, where teachers and students regularly see each other in real-time online, face-to-face. Sean explains that one of the great experiences about teaching live online classes is when teachers and students finally meet in person, even though they have known each other after months – or even years – of online classes together. It’s meeting someone for the first time while also seeing a long-time friend that is Sean’s favorite part of the job.
Teaching transformed Sean in a few ways. First, it’s brought many wonderful people into his life and his coworkers and graduates have become dear friends. Teaching inspired him to pursue a doctorate. Sean believes teaching is a never-ending challenge, and he believes he has learned more about how to mentally approach the never-ending challenge of life through teaching.
Sean was introduced to Bryan University while attending graduate school in 2013. One of his classmates was a teacher at Bryan and recommended that he apply for an open adjunct position. The rest, as they say, is history. He loves every aspect of Bryan, but community is his favorite aspect. Every person he has met has been affable. Many instructors and Bryan’s faculty development program helped as he first started his journey. BU is a very welcoming environment. Coworkers and graduates have become friends. He has also learned a great deal about teaching, leadership, and many other areas of education.
Aside from the outstanding community Bryan University offers, Sean also said the school’s mission statement resonates with him and his belief in higher education. He celebrates the uniqueness and innate greatness of his students and his co-workers and feels everyone has something to offer in different ways. He says the mission statement tells him that Bryan University provides each student with a canvas and few restrictions, and then allows the student to develop a painting that matches their own unique interests, skills, and long-term vision.
Overall, Sean says Bryan University has enriched his life and he looks forward to inspiring and being inspired by his co-workers and students both past and present.
If you are not a student, but are thinking of a career in personal training and fitness, what are you waiting for? Contact us and set up a time to speak with one of our admissions representatives. Or, check out program options at Bryan University:
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