Are you looking to incorporate more physical activity into your lifestyle? Or do you have a more specific fitness goal like increasing your flexibility or building muscle? If you are, then the Jasperfit Mentor program is here to help!
What is the Jasperfit Mentor program?
Lead by students Matthew Reynolds (‘21), Francesco Casale (‘22), Zac Olivan (‘22), and Peter Calicchia (‘22), the Jasperfit Mentor Program is a network for students to receive guidance and support towards achieving their fitness and wellness goals.
“Essentially, people who are interested in either becoming more physically active or maintaining their level of physical activity can request to be paired up with a Kinesiology student at Manhattan who can provide social, emotional, and psychological support in their journey as well as give them information towards whatever their goal may be,” Reynolds said.
Reynolds began building the concept of the program during his freshman year at Manhattan after learning of similar fitness support groups that exist in other colleges. Since then he’s been working with the Kinesiology Department, the Fitness Center, and Student Life to bring Jasperfit Mentors to the MC community.
How does the program work?
Students interested in joining the program can fill out a Google interest form that asks them to explain their previous fitness experience, current interests, and future goals. This form can be found on the Jasperfit Mentor Instagram page (@jasperfit_mentors). Shortly after submitting the form, students are matched with a mentor. The mentors are all MC Kinesiology students with varying degrees of interests that range from powerlifting and endurance training to nutrition.
Matching students with mentors isn’t a random process, as Reynolds describes.
“In the Kinesiology Department, we have a wide variety of students with different backgrounds in different areas of interest like strength and conditioning, endurance work, running, yoga, and more,” Reynolds said. “So, based on what somebody is looking to do, or work on, we match them with a mentor who we think would be a good fit.”
It’s important that students are comfortable with their mentor, so Reynolds confirmed that students are able to ask for a rematch. Students are also able to request mentors on the Google interest form. To learn more about the Jasperfit Mentors, you can visit their Instagram page where photos and biographies about each mentor are posted.
After students are matched with a mentor, the experience is personalized and different for everyone. They can provide nutritional information, specific guidance on how to reach your goals, or even just emotional support. All mentors regularly check-in with students, whether they reach out through text or email is up to the student’s preference.
Who is the program open to?
It’s important to note the program isn’t personal training, rather the mentors intend to offer their mentees encouragement and information that will assist them in achieving their specific fitness goals. Unlike with personal trainers where there is usually a specific time and day commitment, there is no requirement to regularly meet in-person or virtually or with your mentee. Because of this, the program is open to both on-campus and at-home students. If on-campus students are interested in meeting in-person, they can note that on the Google interest form to be matched with an on-campus mentor who is also comfortable with meeting in-person.
The opportunity for students to receive emotional support towards physical activity is especially helpful during this semester that’s marked by tension and uncertainty. Physical activity is a crucial part of overall well-being and its impact on mental health is oftentimes overlooked. The Jasperfit Mentor program is led by students passionate about supporting and guiding MC students by improving their wellness through physical activity.