Meet BU Fitness and Exercise Graduate Andrew Frederick

Andrew Frederick is a recent graduate with an Associate Degree in Applied Exercise and Fitness, who is now working on completing the Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science, Fitness, and Nutrition Management program at Bryan University.

The exercise science program was a natural fit for a longtime athlete like Andrew. Throughout Andrew’s childhood and teenage years, he enjoyed participating and trying different sports from soccer and football to swimming and cross-country track. He had a passion for sports, training, and coaching during high school. He had experience coaching JV sports teams as a high school student, which showed Andrew how rewarding a personal training or coaching career would be.

After high school, Andrew enlisted in the U.S. Army and became a combat engineer. At the same time, he enrolled at the University of Louisville for exercise science. A family emergency that occurred during this time brought Andrew back home, leading him to leave college. As Andrew became eligible for re-enlistment with the Army, he discovered a health issue that would ultimately prevent him from re-enlisting. With that news, Andrew decided to go back to school to finish his degree, focusing on exercise science and personal training, eventually hoping to help others in special population groups.

Andrew chose Bryan University because he was looking for a more flexible way to complete his program. “Because of the technology Bryan uses, the programs are more convenient and flexible. You can move things around more easily to still be able to work or complete other obligations.”

Also, for Andrew, the process to apply at Bryan was seamless, and he was able to transfer many credits from his initial program at the University of Louisville. “Everyone I worked with at Bryan was pleasant and addressed any questions or concerns that I had.”

Andrew has enjoyed both his educational and social experience at Bryan. He credits the university’s online learning platform Yellowdig for providing social engagement and interaction with his classmates. He was surprised at how much social connection there was when he started at Bryan even though the program was online.

In terms of his educational experience, Andrew appreciated hearing different perspectives from his professors and found apps like Cerego and Quizlet were extremely helpful for memorization and short but effective study sessions. And while Andrew acknowledges that online education can be challenging at times, he felt that the professors and academic coaches at Bryan helped make it seem more manageable.

Currently, Andrew works at a gym located in Louisville, Kentucky, called Fitness 19. He is working towards being a personal trainer where his clientele will mostly be the senior population and high school student-athletes. He finds this work exciting because working with these two populations has brought Andrew joy. “It’s fulfilling to me because I can see the difference I am making each time I work with a client. With senior populations, I can see that they begin to enjoy a better quality of life and can move more freely with proper training. And with high school students, they learn how to prevent injury from the different sports they participate in.”

Bryan University exceeded Andrew’s expectations; he thought it would be a traditional college experience pushed onto an online environment. Instead, he felt it was more flexible and tailored to ensure that each student succeeds. He felt that Bryan’s different online learning tools and technology help students do their best work and make their homework something they want to do versus feeling like another thing they have to do.

In addition to the tools, Andrew also credits the faculty and staff at Bryan for helping each student succeed. He felt like all the different people a student works with at Bryan is willing to help the student get what they need, whether it’s a success coach returning a text or someone connecting you with the proper technical support. Andrew felt that there was always someone ready to help.

“My education at Bryan has given me all the tools I need and the foundation I need to succeed.”