Students of the Month

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Student of the Month: Anthony Fletcher

2023-04-20T09:14:08-05:00January 12th, 2023|

The United States Sports Academy’s January Student of the Month is Anthony Fletcher of Santa Barbara, Calif. Fletcher is member of the United States Air Force Air Force, with seven deployments as an Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance operator. He is also an Academy student seeking his bachelor’s degree in sports strength and conditioning and hopes to use his education to propel his goals to work as CSCS and Tactical Fitness and Conditioning Specialist or continue his education and become a Doctor of Physical Therapy after retiring from the military. Fletcher found out about the academy while researching exercise related training opportunities and discovered a bachelor's program that met all of his interests. He is a qualified instructor who has flown over 2,250 combat hours providing critical intelligence to Special Operations Forces and joint battlefield commanders [...]

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Student of the Month Hassan Dakroub Inspired by USSA Alum Mike Leach

2023-06-05T09:37:04-05:00October 11th, 2022|

Like many United States Sports Academy students, Hassan Dakroub is currently working in the sports profession and hopes to use his degree to take the next step in his career. Dakroub, who is seeking his Bachelor of Sports Science degree in sports coaching, is currently working as an assistant football coach at Fordson High School in Dearborn, Mich. He hopes to use what he learns from the Academy to move up in the ranks among football coaches. He discovered the Academy after watching an interview with Mississippi State head football coach Mike Leach, who holds a Master of Sports Science degree from the Academy. “I was watching football videos online and found a video where Mike Leach was giving his team a pep talk,” Dakroub said. “The speech inspired me, [...]

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Student of the Month: Brian Bell

2023-06-05T09:37:47-05:00September 23rd, 2022|

Brian Bell of Nashville, Tenn., is the United States Sports Academy’s latest Student of the Month. Bell, a Master of Sports Science degree student, is an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the NFL's Tennessee Titans.   https://youtu.be/ERpBLNGPNyw

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Interview with Student of the Month Melissa El Chaar

2023-06-05T09:40:47-05:00June 10th, 2022|

Melissa El Chaar of Aley, Lebanon, is the United States Sports Academy's latest Student of the Month. El Chaar is a teacher and dance instructor who hopes to use her Bachelor of Sports Science degree in strength and conditioning to teach the science behind dance to adults in Lebanon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IIE4osQ0CE

Student of the Month Dr. Steve Wachs is a Teacher, Podcaster, Sport Psychologist and Social Media Researcher

2023-06-21T08:25:21-05:00May 10th, 2022|

Dr. Steve Wachs is already an accomplished teacher, podcaster, sports psychologist, and researcher, but now that he has a doctoral degree from the United States Sports Academy, the institution’s latest Student of the Month hopes to expand his reach with more speaking engagement and presentation opportunities. Wachs recently successfully defended his dissertation, which researched the impact of social media on young athletes. For the mentorship portion of his Academy doctoral program, Wachs started a podcast that revolves around basketball in the Southern California area and includes discussions of sport psychology, coaching, and parenting. In addition, Wachs has also presented at conferences like the Association of Applied Sport Psychology-West Region and he hopes to be able to use his Academy education to find similar opportunities. “The Academy’s distance learning program really [...]

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Tennis Player Karthik Anand Preparing for Life After Sport with Academy Bachelor’s Program

2022-04-12T14:52:29-05:00April 12th, 2022|

Karthik Anand is well on his way to reaching his dream of playing tennis on the professional circuit and becoming a role model for aspiring young athletes from India. But when his playing days eventually end, Anand will be prepared for a career as a coach because of his education from the United States Sports Academy. A native of New Delhi, India, Anand is the Academy’s latest Student of the Month. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Sports Science degree in sports coaching while living and training at the Walter Grunfeld Tennis Academy in Barcelona, Spain. There, he has worked his way up the ranks in tennis with his eyes set on qualifying for International Tennis Federation (ITF) play and eventually becoming a regular on the ATP Tour. Like [...]

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Student of the Month Melissa Hadley is Preparing Herself for Success and Opportunity

2022-03-08T16:19:07-06:00March 8th, 2022|

A lifelong painter with no real interest in sport growing up, Melissa Hadley wasn’t sure at first that pursuing a degree from the United States Sports Academy was right for her. Now, the Academy’s latest Student of the Month says the school’s bachelor’s degree program has shown her that sport is inextricably linked to just about every other industry in the world. Hadley was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, and is now a resident of Daphne, Ala., where she works for the Academy as its Operations Manager. She is pursuing her Bachelor of Sports Science degree in sports management. Once she earns that degree, she hopes to work in the facilities and event management field. “To be honest, I wasn’t sure about it at first,” Hadley said. “When a [...]

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Figure Skating Coach Lexie Hernandez Balances Motherhood, Professional Life with Academy Degree Program

2022-02-08T16:07:07-06:00February 8th, 2022|

After working as a figure skating coach in Southern California for more than two decades, Lexie Hernandez decided it was time to take her skills to the next level with a sports coaching degree from the United States Sports Academy. A resident of San Diego, Calif., Hernandez is the Academy’s latest Student of the Month. The mother of two and professional figure skating coach is seeking her Bachelor of Sports Science degree in sports coaching from the institution. “I have been skating since I was about five years old and coaching for the last 20 years,” Hernandez said. “I basically went from competitive skating as a teenager right into coaching as a young adult and never took the time to get a degree. Now that I have all of that [...]

Academy’s Flexible Scheduling Options Benefitted Student of the Month Christopher Bonilla During Overseas Deployment

2022-01-11T09:45:30-06:00January 11th, 2022|

United States Sports Academy master’s degree student Christopher Bonilla spent most of 2020 deployed to Poland as part of the Nevada National Guard. During that time, he was able to complete much of his work toward his Master of Sports Science degree in sports exercise science because of the Academy’s flexible scheduling and 100 percent online format. Now a resident of Arlington, Va., Bonilla is the Academy’s latest Student of the Month. He recently completed his master’s thesis – studying and implementing exercise warm up strategies for a new U.S. Army fitness test – and is now seeking publishing opportunities. “The self-paced format of the Academy’s master’s degree program was beneficial to me while I was deployed overseas,” Bonilla said. “Some weeks were very busy, but others I had long [...]

Acasio Roche Preparing for Life after Firefighting with Academy Coaching Degree

2021-12-15T14:33:36-06:00December 14th, 2021|

Acasio Roche III has spent more than two decades working as a firefighter in the Milwaukee, Wisc., area. Now, Roche hopes to use his education from the United States Sports Academy to transition into a role he’s always wanted: head collegiate soccer coach. Roche, who is pursuing his Bachelor of Sports Science degree in sports coaching, is the Academy’s latest Student of the Month. In addition to fighting fires, he’s spent time coaching soccer at the youth, regional, club, high school and college levels. Roche is currently a volunteer assistant coach for women’s soccer at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where the late Academy founding president Dr. Thomas P. Rosandich once served as director of athletics between 1969-1972. Rosandich was instrumental in launching the school’s original sports programs and building athletics [...]

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Student of the Month Daniel Archer Eyes Career in Sport and Hospitality Field with Academy Bachelor’s Degree

2021-11-16T09:58:37-06:00November 16th, 2021|

Daniel Archer hopes to use his Bachelor of Sports Science degree in sports management to advance his career in the sports, hospitality, and leisure industry in sunny southern California. Archer, of Los Angeles, is the United States Sports Academy’s latest Student of the Month, selected by Academy faculty for his diligence in the classroom and attention to detail in incorporating faculty feedback into his assignments. A recent graduate of the associates degree in kinesiology program at Mount San Antonio Community College in Walnut, Calif., Archer hopes his Academy degree will open further doors in the wide open, booming sports tourism industry in the state. Archer currently works as a sponsorship scout for a sports marketing company and in grounds maintenance at a golf course in Diamond Bar, Calif. He said [...]

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Student of the Month Dr. Lorenzo Guess Praises Academy’s Online Doctoral Degree Program

2021-10-13T13:42:37-05:00October 13th, 2021|

Dr. Lorenzo Guess is a former two-sport collegiate athlete at Michigan State who has received numerous accolades for his skill on the field and court and as a strength and conditioning coach. Now, he’s earned his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in sports management from the United States Sports Academy. The Academy’s latest Student of the Month, Guess is the associate head strength and conditioning coach and director of player enrichment for the Michigan State University football team. A former MSU safety (1998-2001) and basketball player, Guess is now in his 10th season on the school’s football training staff. Guess progressed through the Academy doctoral program with his wife, Bianca, who is currently in the dissertation phase of her studies. “My wife actually got me into the program and it was [...]

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