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My experience as a graduate student in the University of Texas at El Paso Kinesiology Program was one of growth and opportunity. The encouragement I received from faculty members provided me with the knowledge and professional feedback that I needed to succeed. I will always be thankful to Â鶹¹ÙÍø for the many hands-on opportunities, both inside and outside of the classrooms, which have been extremely relevant to the success of my career.

Norma Candelaria, M.S. c/o 2007
Healthy Zone School Program Manager
The Cooper Institute Dallas, TX

I am currently the Director of Outpatient services at Las Palmas Medical Center. I oversee wellness and prevention service lines as well as some chronic disease departments that link with the educational background I developed in my Kinesiology undergraduate and graduate studies at Â鶹¹ÙÍø.

My undergrad studies at Â鶹¹ÙÍø provided me with a good foundation to establish myself as go-to-person for my organization when it comes to wellness and prevention. This is especially important during our current healthcare reform evolution.

My Masters degree in Kinesiology helped me develop skills to become a strong leader in a very dynamic healthcare field. The extreme attention to detail during my thesis year and my gained experience in research methods helped escalate my career very quickly and made me very marketable compared to other healthcare administrators in my field.

I see a clear connection between the education I received at Â鶹¹ÙÍø and the following service lines I oversee.

The LifeCare fitness center and outpatient cardiac rehab facility connected well with my Kinesiology studies. This combination helped me understand how to pull hospital services and wellness together to create a great continuum of care model.

My other service lines such as the diabetes treatment center, bariatric center, limb salvage center and hyperbaric medicine unit require continued research and development that I was able to deliver at a high level due to skills I developed as a graduate kinesiology student. There is no better way to develop these skills than completing a thesis in a graduate program at Â鶹¹ÙÍø. Ever since I completed the daunting task of getting my thesis published, I now understand how that process made me grow as a professional ready to perform as a healthcare administrator.

I give a heartfelt thanks to Â鶹¹ÙÍø and of course the Kinesiology Department for helping me achieve my career goals!

Mike Flores, MS
Director, Outpatient Services
Las Palmas Medical Center
El Paso TX