When Emma Kalinowski packed up her life in northeast Ohio and headed for the University of Cincinnati, she carried the sort of wide-eyed ambition that college freshmen often have. The University, as she described it, "was a smaller school in a big city," according to a University of Cincinnati article. Yet, despite her clear vision of where she wanted to be, the question of what she wanted to become was more elusive. "I switched my major a few times, actually," Kalinowski said, "Once before I even came to campus."
The ambivalence of her academic trajectory led her to quickly abandon a fashion marketing program in the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) and then to step away from a subsequent business program. In each, she recognized a misfit almost as soon as she had begun to test the waters. However, during this period of academic unrest, she stumbled upon an interest that rapidly morphed into a fervent passion. To cast aside the uncertainty, she began to consistently visit the campus recreation center, allowing exercise and fitness to fill the spaces of her doubts.
A fortuitous conversation with a friend pointed Kalinowski to an eventual course correction. The friend had unearthed something that piqued her evolving interest - the School of Human Services’ Exercise Science program. Kalinowski's intrigue was instant. She decided to deep dive into the program's curriculum. After what might have seemed like a fleeting moment of curiosity and consideration, she finally found her academic calling. "I was like hmm, that seems interesting. So I looked at the curriculum and thought, yeah, I'm going to go for it," Emma Kalinowski told the University of Cincinnati.
Transitioning majors is relatively common among college students, as they navigate the myriad of options before settling on the path that truly resonates. Kalinowski's journey from fashion marketing to business and eventually to exercise science is a testament to the exploratory nature ingrained in higher education, the spirit of discovery that thrives within campus bounds.
