Meet Fabio Mahon, a kinesiology major working hard to complete his last quarter as an undergrad. Kinesiology is a particularly popular major at Western, even causing the department to stop accepting applicants for a whole year starting this past February. As explained on the department website, the kinesiology program “provides concentrated study of human movement from developmental, mechanical, motor control, psychosocial, psychological, pathological, and physiological perspectives. This program is appropriate for students who plan to work in the fitness/exercise industry.” There are five areas of concentration in this major including Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Health Care Professions, Movement Studies, Health and Fitness Specialist, and Sports Psychology. Demand for such skills and expertise are high and with good reason.
Seattle-native Fabio Mahon shares that his initial plan was to go into nursing, however Western doesn’t have a nursing program so he decided to apply for the kinesiology major with a concentration in physical therapy. “I actually had been considering doing physical therapy for a while and it is still an avenue that I may want to take in the future,” Mahon explains, though he still aspires to be a nurse one day. “I wanted to get some [physical therapy] experience so I applied to volunteer at St. Joseph’s here in Bellingham. I started as a float, which is a greeter that helps people get to rooms or does deliveries, and after a couple months went over to PT and asked if I could be their little helper. It was a really enlightening experience.”
Physical therapists at St. Joseph’s work one-on-one with patients and their families in a very fast paced environment due to limited time frames and an overflow of patients. “We would bounce around from patient to patient looking at charts briefly before going in to do a couple exercises and giving them activities to practice before next time. It’s a very intimate setting in the sense that these people are vulnerable and are completely reliant on each member of the team to help them get back to being able to function on their own. Everyone is there to help make these person’s lives better, and only better. Positive progress, even if it means getting a shot, or working on taking those first difficult steps after a stroke and looking funny while doing it, is the goal.” Mahon says.
Mahon notes that learning about anatomy and physiology is one of the hardest parts of the major. “There’s just too much information crammed in one class over three months. It should be at least two classes like Whatcom [Community College] does in order to properly cover and maintain the information in that class. I work and go to school full time and that class was like a second job, so you’d better be prepared,” he says as a warning to potential kinesiology majors. But that doesn’t mean Mahon didn’t enjoy those classes! When asked what his favorite part of the major is he shares that he loves learning about the body. “It’s astounding the things our bodies do. From the basics of energy consumption, to the mechanics of movement, to the neurological aspects. All of this working in harmony in such a small mass is still mind boggling to me. Unlocking each new piece of information about why we have knee caps, and how information travels through action potentials by atoms streaming across a membrane in nanoseconds, and it happening every second, continues to intrigue me. I can see it, and feel it, and experience it all at once, while applying to the people around me. It’s really interactive and I don’t think I’ll ever get bored,” he explains.
In addition to his already hectic schedule, Mahon works with elderly people in order to get some real-life nursing experience. “I work as a Nursing Assistant Certified at Mt. Baker Care Center. I have about twenty old folks on my hallway that I tag team with my partner-in-crime, Nadew. We have residents that are recovering from acute and chronic illnesses, surgery, long-term care, and hospice. Essentially, I help them do all the basic things I took for granted before. Getting up, eating, brushing their hair, putting on clothes, toileting, and walking. We call them ADLs, Activities of Daily Living. And I’m there to assist them with whatever their little heart’s desire.” Mahon shares how rewarding his job is. “Going home knowing I did what I could to help better someone’s life is an amazing feeling,” he says.
As Mahon rounds the corner to the finish line, he shares that his post-grad plans don’t involve jumping into the workforce. “I’m taking a year-long beach vacation. I’m going to work and play somewhere tropical. I’ve spent eighteen years doing school and now I’m going to take a break and do me for a little while, get some more work experience, and just enjoy life,” he says. Sounds like an excellent plan! Traveling is a huge passion of Mahon’s so after his tropical getaway he wants to work for Delta Airlines to get some free traveling in before heading back to medical school and settling down.
When asked if he plays any sports, Mahon jokes, “I play get to class on time and don’t forget you have work after!” For fun, he likes to mountain bike, ski, swim, hangout with friends, and cook and eat good food. “I basically like to try something new as often as possible because life is short and I want to do as much as I can while I’m able.”
Mahon leaves us with a few words of wisdom. “Do what you want to do and don’t hold back. Try new things because you either step forward into progress or backwards into safety.”
*Photo courtesy of Fabio Mahon.