Hippocrates stated, “The function of protecting and developing health must rank even above that of restoring it when it is impaired.” This statement has never been more pertinent! We are currently in the midst of a crisis brought on by our own lifestyle choices. We know that the first step to good health is prevention; prevention at the individual, family, and community level. Society is currently facing major challenges related to human performance and wellness. To address this crisis and obtain optimum performance, optimum health, and wellness, and a better quality of life, we need to understand how the human body functions and how to look after it. We need to understand what is required to attain the highest levels of human performance and wellness across the lifespan. The Human Performance and Wellness B.S. provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities one needs to know, understand, and apply in learning how the human body and its systems develop and function; how one learns as one develops and how movement plays a part in that learning; and overall, how to take care of oneself over one’s lifespan in such a way that the outcome is quality of life through wellness.
—Dr. bobbi bonacé, Chair
Having our elementary school campus serve as a lab for the Adapted Physical Activity classes has been such a benefit to our students. The Sensory Integration activities have caused significant growth in many of our students and they LOVE it. It has been powerful for our faculty as well who have begun looking for more than the usual explanations for challenging behaviors from children and are integrating the principles of sensory integration theory into their daily routines and are finding them very effective. This program has provided an extra ray of hope for many children who might have had frustrating and defeating elementary school careers.
—Lydia Snider, Special Education Resource Specialist, Santa Rita School District, McKinnon Elementary School, Salinas
In my Foundations of Wellness Service Learning class, I came to better understand the relationship between social demographics and community health, not only in the U.S. but around the world. Working with the Monterey County AIDS Project inspired me to work for AIDS relief while studying in Zimbabwe as an undergraduate. Consequently, this is the field of work I am now pursuing.
—Lori Janssen-Whittet, Johannesburg, South Africa, Class of 2003
The APE program at CSUMB and my internship for the major gave me the opportunity to meet other Monterey Bay professionals in the special education field. This opportunity was valuable and gave me the extra edge to gain employment in my major. I am currently working for MPUSD as an SDC teacher, and include into my curriculum the practices I was taught in the Adapted Physical Activity program.
—Tamara Kurily-Neel, Monterey, Class of 2003
The HPWE courses… emphasize the psychological, spiritual, social, intellectual, and environmental aspects of wellbeing, and challenge us to see their interdependence. My wellness class challenged me to see connections between my own health and the health of the world. I found that my responsibility to myself and my responsibility to others aren’t in opposition; they’re one in the same.
—Mac Clemmons, Marina, CA, Class of 2005
Having a minor in health and wellness I have had the opportunity to become more knowledgeable in the importance of encompassing mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing and the affect this has on the body. I believe health is a very important aspect of everyone’s life: without a healthy body and mind, the ability to accomplish tasks is greatly affected.”
—Nancy Rojas, Greenfield, CA, Class of 2005
Revised 5/24/05