Meet Hannalee Frahm. Growing up as an avid gymnast and starting her coaching career at age 14, Hannalee learned early on that movement can be the best medicine. However, due to the high demands of the sport, she sustained multiple injuries and underwent several sessions of physical therapy. During her therapy sessions, she developed a growing interest in exercise science and rehabilitation. After visiting the UCF campus during high school, she had a gut feeling that this was where she was meant to be. Hannalee knew that UCF’s kinesiology program would help her develop her coaching skills and give her the knowledge she needed to make athletes stronger and better at their sport. After graduation, Hannalee will be attending UCF’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
Hometown: Ormond Beach, FL
What is your major? Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology
What will you be doing after graduation?
After graduation, I will be attending physical therapy school at the University of Central Florida,
starting in May 2025.
What are your long-term career plans?
I am going to be attending UCF’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program, which starts in the Summer of 2025, so I will graduate in 2028 with my DPT. Although I am not entirely sure what field of physical therapy I want to pursue yet, I want to explore the possibility of travel physical therapy and being able to work in several different fields. The fields that interest me the most at the moment are sports, pediatrics, and neuro. I also would love to one day be able to obtain a position that allows me to both treat patients and train athletes/clients or maybe be able to get
back into coaching gymnastics someday.
What accomplishment from your time at UCF are you most proud of?
The accomplishment I am most proud of during my time at UCF is taking and passing the NSCA-CSCS. When I started at UCF two years ago, I learned that kinesiology students needed to obtain a certification to graduate. Although I could have gotten a Personal Training or Group Exercise certification, I decided to set a goal for myself to pass a Gold Standard exam. After researching both the NSCA-CSCS and the ACSM-EP certifications and their requirements, I decided that the CSCS aligned best with my future as a physical therapist, especially if I later choose to work with athletes. After taking both Strength and Conditioning I and II, I officially registered for the exam and began my studying process. However, I was discouraged by the online feedback I found about the exam, realizing that the first-time pass rate for both sections was only 37%. Despite initially being overwhelmed by this, I reassured myself that I was capable of anything I set my mind to and started working even harder to ensure that I passed. When test day came, I was extremely nervous, but as soon as I started the exam, I realized that my coursework and endless hours of studying prepared me for this moment. After four hours of testing, I was told I had passed both sections! I was so incredibly proud of myself, but I know I couldn’t have done it without the mentorship of several members of UCF’s faculty, including Lecturer Micheal Redd, Graduate Assistant Modesto Lebron, and Adjunct Instructor Terrie Bradshaw, as well as the support of my friends and family. This experience broadened my horizons and reinforced my belief in my potential. I am excited to use this certification, and the knowledge gained from it, through my future career as a physical therapist. Another more recent accomplishment is my acceptance into UCF’s DPT program, which I am very excited about!
What did you love the most about your time at UCF?
What I loved the most about my time at UCF was being a research assistant in the UCF EPIC Lab. I gained so much hands-on experience working with participants in a lab setting in many different capacities. I have also learned so much about topics I hadn’t thought much about previously, such as the menstrual cycle and its effects on exercise, muscle damage, and recovery. This semester, I was selected to coordinate a research study on the validity and reliability of a body composition device called the Fit3D. As a coordinator, I was the head point of contact for all participants. I was responsible for scheduling and running testing visits, ensuring accurate data collection and data entry, and working effectively as a team with my peers in the lab. This semester alone, we recruited and collected data from 50 participants and have now finished the data-collection phase of the study. From this experience, I have learned the importance of evidence-based practice and gained a newfound appreciation for researchers and the passion they pour into their projects. What I especially loved about this experience was getting to meet and talk to so many like-minded people whom I wouldn’t have gotten to meet otherwise, including my peers in the research lab and the participants of our studies. I have also gained an amazing mentor and friend in Jessica Moon, and I consider it a privilege to have worked with her these past few semesters.
What was your favorite class, professor, or experience at CHPS, and why?
My favorite classes were Kinetic Anatomy, Biomechanics, and Strength and Conditioning. I thrive most when I know that what I’m learning will either prepare me for my future career goals or is something I can apply in a real-world scenario. Strength and Conditioning provides a solid foundation for kinesiology students to understand concepts such as types of movement/planes of motion, lever mechanics, bioenergetics, nutrition, and how to program for different types of athletes. Kinetic Anatomy not only teaches students the names of the bones, muscles, and connective tissues in the human body but also how they work together to produce the movements previously learned about in Strength and Conditioning. Biomechanics takes it a step further and shows students the physics and other scientific principles behind power, strength, endurance, flexibility, and injury. These classes effectively prepared me for success as a future student of physical therapy, as well as passing the CSCS. I also loved that I was able to use my strength and conditioning knowledge in a practical setting by programming conditioning sessions for the gymnasts I coached. It’s hard to pick just one or even a few favorite professors! My favorite professors at UCF would be the instructors of the classes I listed: Graduate Assistant Modesto Lebron, Clinical Professor Jennifer Plant, and Lecturer Micheal Redd, as well as Lecturer Alison Redd and Associate Instructor Shari Norte. These professors truly care about their students and make it a point to make sure everyone is on track and fully understands the content of their classes.
