November Alumni Career Profile

Name:  Carol Wontkowski                  

Class Year:  1992

Major:  B.S. in Physical Education/Exercise Science

Current Employer:  Newman YMCA (part of Greater Providence YMCA Assoc.)

Briefly describe your career path since graduation.  
My career path actually began while I was pursuing my bachelor's. I worked at the local YMCA while attending BSC and did my internship in Cardiac Rehab at both Brockton Hospital and Sturdy Memorial Hospital in addition to gaining experience as an EKG tech at Sturdy. Taking this clinical avenue has provided more medical experience than I had expected and has been invaluable throughout my career. Shortly after graduation, I landed a position as an echo tech at Children's Hospital in Boston, returned to health and fitness and contracted as a consultant with area Council's on Aging. I then returned to school for computer training, worked as a programmer for a few years, was laid off and decided to return to what I loved most - a position using my BSC degree.

What is your current position and how long have you been with your employer?  
I have been Post Rehabilitation Program Coordinator for just under two years. I was hired specifically to develop and create this program.

Briefly describe the main responsibilities of your position.
All aspects of marketing and promotion to clinical professionals in our service area, work with and create participants' exercise prescription based on clinical restrictions and limitations, train staff, recommend and purchase equipment for program.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
Seeing and hearing from the participants how they can now perform daily functions that prior to the program were not possible.

What do you find most challenging about your job?
Finding enough time in a day or a week to get everything accomplished.

Briefly describe your typical work week.  
I schedule 1-hour, bi-weekly appointments with program participants in a sectioned area from our main Fitness Center. This area houses Nautilus, cardiovascular and our rehab equipment (thera-bands, ergometer, etc.). About 60% of my time is spent with participants and the rest is divided between the main Fitness area and Post Rehab Program promotion and communication (on the phone or computer).

What job search methods did you use to obtain your current position?
Actually, Divine intervention. On a whim, I sent my resume.

What advice could you give to students interested in your field?  
 Personally, having had the opportunity to work in my field while pursuing my degree gave me an edge up and made me more marketable. Not only did it provide me with experience, I learned a lot about my chosen field before I graduated, enough to decide whether or not this was for me.

Last Modified: November 4, 2004