U N D E R G R A D U A T E A L U M N I PROFILE
Faces of LIFE
Jonathan Putting
Beausejour Pieces
the
Together
You might have seen him around campus. Maybe you had a class
with him. Perhaps you attended one of his basketball games. You may also
have seen his “game face” in a previous Faces of LIFE article. His name
is Jonathan Beausejour, an alumnus of Life University’s B.S. in Exercise
Science program who graduated in June 2017.
About his years at LIFE, Beausejour says, “I really took advantage of
the resources at LIFE, and I learned the whole college experience of
networking and internships. I explored and tried to do different things.
Sometimes I made mistakes, but it was great. Especially the health aspect,
it’s more integrative, and I feel like I’ve adopted the integrative approach,
the vitalistic way of healthcare like putting the body into a position to heal
itself rather than putting drugs into it to mask the pain.”
When Beausejour was offered a basketball scholarship to LIFE, he
made the choice to attend and study biology, but decided that working in a
laboratory was not really what he wanted to do. He decided that he would
be much happier as a physical therapist or trainer, so he decided to switch
his major to the logical choice of exercise science. Beausejour emphatically
states, “So literally one quarter I was a biology major, and the next I was an
exercise science major!”
And now with this education, Beausejour plans to become an Exercise
Physiologist to help map out exercise plans for athletes so that they may
reach their full potential — especially when they have physical issues or
injuries. He says, “For example, if someone has back issues, then they would
hire me to map out an exercise plan that is integrated with their medical
specialists’ plans so that they are able to reach their exercise goals.”
To become an Exercise Physiologist, Beausejour will need to obtain a
master’s degree in biomechanics of kinesiology, which teaches people how
to move more efficiently to help eliminate pain and increase their quality
of life. To that end, he says, he’s “currently identifying his educational
options to pursue that degree.”
Beausejour certainly knows about exercise and how to push the body
to its potential. He says, “I’ve always been an athlete and interested in
how far I can take my body, and being in the exercise science program
helped me to achieve even more. I love being an athlete and seeing what
the body can achieve once you put it under stress for periods of time. He
acknowledges that some people are born with natural athletic prowess,
but there are far more who can improve athletically if they know how to
do it. He happily states, “I want to be the one who teaches them and helps
them achieve optimal health through exercise.”
Before coming to LIFE, Beausejour notes that he had a back injury due
to his athleticism and was told that since he had two spinal herniations by
the age of 16 that he would have to simply deal with pain for the rest of
his life. As a 16-year-old hearing that, he said that he felt devastated and
that there had be another solution.
So, when he came to LIFE, he went to the campus clinic and saw a
doctor who used kinesiology. He could barely walk, so he didn’t know if
it would help. He elaborates, “But, once I saw the doctor, he corrected my
body! It fascinates me because I’ve been through it — the whole rehab
process, but the right way, not just taking pills to mask the pain. All you
need is a good doctor who understands everything physically, mentally and
spiritually.”
“It was nothing short of a miracle. That whole thing blew my mind with
how well it works because everything is connected, and that’s also the
whole LIFE philosophy. Everything must be aligned before the body can
fix itself.”
Beausejour says that his
four years here at LIFE, and
especially the last two years,
were like putting together
the pieces of a puzzle. He had
challenges, both physical and
educational, but each time
that puzzle piece was missing,
a solution would soon come
along.
One particular piece that he
sorely missed was success in
his basketball career at LIFE …
and he found that missing
piece in 2017. “That year we
placed second in the national
basketball championships,” he
exclaims proudly.
“I feel that everything
happened according to plan. Of
course, it felt bittersweet that
we didn’t come out on top, but I
remember at my last interview
that I was hoping that one day
“… from an athlete’s
we would at least make it to
the national tournament. And
standpoint, this is a perfect
I know that in the beginning
school … It’s been good for
of the year, it was really on my
me because I can focus
mind, and I hoped that we had
a shot, but we ended 6th in the
on my schoolwork. It’s the
conference in 2016 and didn’t
perfect place to get your
even make it to the national
priorities on track.”
championships at that time.”
“In 2017, the team chemistry
was perfect, and we went on
to the national tournament and won close game after close game. Then
after the semifinal win, I couldn’t believe that we were there playing for a
national championship!”
Looking back at his time at LIFE, he says, “I challenged myself a lot
during my time there. When I first arrived, I was quiet and shy, and I didn’t
talk to anybody. Yet, I understood that for me to grow, I’d have to open
myself up and do something that would help me control my happiness. I
know now that that is possible at LIFE.”
“And from an athlete’s standpoint, this is a perfect school because there
are very few distractions that allow you to connect with all the professors,
and they really want you to succeed. It’s been good for me because I
can focus on my schoolwork. It’s the perfect place to get your priorities
on track.”
Alumni.LIFE.edu | 2018
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