Picture it...Sicily...1936
No, but seriously folks, I have been waiting on some pretty big news and wanted to have it all together so I could give the the whole story.
Back in may of this year (2012) I was a few pounds away from my weight loss goal, and was chatting with my dear friend Alethea. We would speak often about health, fitness, and The word of God. She taught me some stuff that I never knew before.
I told Alethea that I wish I could help people as losing weight is so difficult and a lot of people simply don't know how to go about it. She told me that would be a good thing for me. I told her I would love to do it, but the only people I could help at this point would be people who were exactly like me, and lets face it...there aren't a lot of people like me.
I am not sure at what point I decided it was feasible, but I began looking into it. At first I asked a friend what steps I should take, knowing she worked in a gym. She mentioned a trainer at her gym who would help, but then talked about how he would require I try to sell to people. (that made me nervous) I found a place online called the NPTI National Personal Training Institute. This is a 6th month course where a person can graduate with a diploma and qualify to take the test to certify with NASM National Acadamy Sports Medicine. This course would teach me to be a personal trainer with limited nutrition training.
I spoke with the woman about the school for about an hour and took some notes. It seemed to be my only option, but then I decided to poke around even more and found a place called Bryan University online, they are an extention of Brayan College. I sent my information then not too long after received a call. I chatted with the woman about all this place offered. It is an online classroom where I will be on my computer with a headset and can see the instructor there are buttons where I can raise my hand to ask a question, or request that the instructor slow down. That's just the classroom! This school offers free tutoring if I feel I need the extra help. I would graduate with an associates degree in fitness and nutrition with the ability to menu plan and direct people nutritionally, even people with challenges like diabetes. On the fitness side of things I would be equipped to help most people achieve thier fitness goals. I would qualify to take the NASM, and the ACSM tests. I would be able to work anywhere in the United States as a personal trainer. There are other things I am not thinking of right now that made me choose them, but the financial advisor encouraged me to check into assistance from the VA since I was in the military. So I did.
Upon calling the VA I found out that I may be eligible for a new kind of assistance as I did not qualify for the Montgomery GI bill. So I filled out my app online and sent it in. I got an email from the VA saying they received it. I went camping expecting thier call any minute! I got back from camping and made a phone call. There they told me that I would recieve a letter in the mail. So I waited. A week went by and I called. My application was in line to be processed. So I waited and went to Minnesota...meanwhile amongst all the waiting I was telling family and friends of my plan. There was not one negative comment, I even asked the people who I knew wouldn't sugar coat it and they all thought this was a path that made sense for me and were genuinely happy for me. Also among the waiting I prayed. I prayed for Gods hand in this and for the doors to be opened if it was what was best for me in His eyes. Kurt had mentioned just shooting for September and going for it student loans and all, at first I was excited, but not long after that had absolutely no peace because I knew that would be pushing to get what I wanted, and I have learned that when I am seeking Gods voice, Peace is the yes answer, weather it's what I want to hear or not. As I began to lose hope here and there, I also felt like God was giving me way too much encouragement to not let this be.
Today I made my third and final phone call. I was actually calling to see if they needed me to send my DDform214 as I did not have it when I filled out the original application. The lady took my information then said "You filled out an application for financial aid, and it looks like your certificate of eligibility has been mailed, and when you receive your letter, you need to ...." I interrupt "wait! You mean my application got accepted?! and that they are going to grant me money for school???!!!" She replies, "well, all I know is that it says here you will be receiving a certificate of eligiblity in the mail soon."
So folks, there you have it, with a lot of stuff I am sure I forgot to mention, I am going to school to be a personal trainer!!! I am so excited to be doing something that not only I want to do, but something that I feel I am capeable of! I have so many desires for this endeavour I have begun to write them down.
The birth of this idea comes from wanting to help people, and that is where my heart will remain. My ultimate dream is to have a private gym at my residence for people to have private workout sessions, and to also hold group sessions to keep cost down. I also wish to do charitable work, like speaking at schools, maybe showing students fun ways to exercise and speak about nutrition. I want to give nutritional advice to my friends and family who ask me. I want to encourage anyone who sets out to save thier own life by beginning to live a healthy lifestyle. I want to plan a menu for people working around the things they like to eat. I am not out to convince the world that they need to never touch fast food, or to stay away from BPA's and GMO's, I just want to help them be the healthiest they can be in the best way possible for them.
No, but seriously folks, I have been waiting on some pretty big news and wanted to have it all together so I could give the the whole story.
Back in may of this year (2012) I was a few pounds away from my weight loss goal, and was chatting with my dear friend Alethea. We would speak often about health, fitness, and The word of God. She taught me some stuff that I never knew before.
I told Alethea that I wish I could help people as losing weight is so difficult and a lot of people simply don't know how to go about it. She told me that would be a good thing for me. I told her I would love to do it, but the only people I could help at this point would be people who were exactly like me, and lets face it...there aren't a lot of people like me.
I am not sure at what point I decided it was feasible, but I began looking into it. At first I asked a friend what steps I should take, knowing she worked in a gym. She mentioned a trainer at her gym who would help, but then talked about how he would require I try to sell to people. (that made me nervous) I found a place online called the NPTI National Personal Training Institute. This is a 6th month course where a person can graduate with a diploma and qualify to take the test to certify with NASM National Acadamy Sports Medicine. This course would teach me to be a personal trainer with limited nutrition training.
I spoke with the woman about the school for about an hour and took some notes. It seemed to be my only option, but then I decided to poke around even more and found a place called Bryan University online, they are an extention of Brayan College. I sent my information then not too long after received a call. I chatted with the woman about all this place offered. It is an online classroom where I will be on my computer with a headset and can see the instructor there are buttons where I can raise my hand to ask a question, or request that the instructor slow down. That's just the classroom! This school offers free tutoring if I feel I need the extra help. I would graduate with an associates degree in fitness and nutrition with the ability to menu plan and direct people nutritionally, even people with challenges like diabetes. On the fitness side of things I would be equipped to help most people achieve thier fitness goals. I would qualify to take the NASM, and the ACSM tests. I would be able to work anywhere in the United States as a personal trainer. There are other things I am not thinking of right now that made me choose them, but the financial advisor encouraged me to check into assistance from the VA since I was in the military. So I did.
Upon calling the VA I found out that I may be eligible for a new kind of assistance as I did not qualify for the Montgomery GI bill. So I filled out my app online and sent it in. I got an email from the VA saying they received it. I went camping expecting thier call any minute! I got back from camping and made a phone call. There they told me that I would recieve a letter in the mail. So I waited. A week went by and I called. My application was in line to be processed. So I waited and went to Minnesota...meanwhile amongst all the waiting I was telling family and friends of my plan. There was not one negative comment, I even asked the people who I knew wouldn't sugar coat it and they all thought this was a path that made sense for me and were genuinely happy for me. Also among the waiting I prayed. I prayed for Gods hand in this and for the doors to be opened if it was what was best for me in His eyes. Kurt had mentioned just shooting for September and going for it student loans and all, at first I was excited, but not long after that had absolutely no peace because I knew that would be pushing to get what I wanted, and I have learned that when I am seeking Gods voice, Peace is the yes answer, weather it's what I want to hear or not. As I began to lose hope here and there, I also felt like God was giving me way too much encouragement to not let this be.
Today I made my third and final phone call. I was actually calling to see if they needed me to send my DDform214 as I did not have it when I filled out the original application. The lady took my information then said "You filled out an application for financial aid, and it looks like your certificate of eligibility has been mailed, and when you receive your letter, you need to ...." I interrupt "wait! You mean my application got accepted?! and that they are going to grant me money for school???!!!" She replies, "well, all I know is that it says here you will be receiving a certificate of eligiblity in the mail soon."
So folks, there you have it, with a lot of stuff I am sure I forgot to mention, I am going to school to be a personal trainer!!! I am so excited to be doing something that not only I want to do, but something that I feel I am capeable of! I have so many desires for this endeavour I have begun to write them down.
The birth of this idea comes from wanting to help people, and that is where my heart will remain. My ultimate dream is to have a private gym at my residence for people to have private workout sessions, and to also hold group sessions to keep cost down. I also wish to do charitable work, like speaking at schools, maybe showing students fun ways to exercise and speak about nutrition. I want to give nutritional advice to my friends and family who ask me. I want to encourage anyone who sets out to save thier own life by beginning to live a healthy lifestyle. I want to plan a menu for people working around the things they like to eat. I am not out to convince the world that they need to never touch fast food, or to stay away from BPA's and GMO's, I just want to help them be the healthiest they can be in the best way possible for them.
Awesome, Jolene! You will be great!
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