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Kinesiology Alumna Continues Volunteer Efforts in Graduate School

Lauren leading macarenaWaltrip leads the Macarena dance for Bulldog participants.

Cal Poly kinesiology alumna Lauren Waltrip wants everyone to get up and dance. Not just the usual line dancers at the Grad on Thursdays or the Swing Club pros, but absolutely everyone who wants to have a good time and smile, regardless of that person's physical ability.

While still at Cal Poly, Waltrip worked with the Bulldogs, an organization in San Luis Obispo County that uses sports, including dance, to promote physical activity for those with special needs. Even though she had no previous experience in this area, Waltrip jumped right in, discovering on her first day that she was the line dancing instructor.

One of her favorite memories is teaching the macarena. “By the end of two years, they had it down and were able to teach it back to me. We stuck with it because they would laugh and smile,” Waltrip said.

Now a first year physical therapy student, Waltrip said her work with the Bulldogs inspired her to continue working with those with special needs. "My experience sparked a love for that particular population and an understanding of how important physical activity is for them, how beneficial it can be.”

Waltrip currently volunteers at GiGi's Playhouse, a center for children with Down's Syndrome, where she is a literacy tutor for a young boy. “The kids get to interact with other kids with Down's. They are able to socialize with people like them and understand them. When they come to GiGi's, they're not different,” she explained.

As part of her physical therapy studies, Waltrip also works with a young girl with a genetic disease helping her with balance and movement.

Waltrip credits the opportunities she received through the Kinesiology Department for preparing her for physical therapy school. "Cal Poly encouraged us to go the extra mile to put the effort in. It gave me a great foundation, especially in the sciences." She is currently doing clinical rotations that will help her decide which area of physical therapy to pursue.  

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