Susan McCain '92
Wellness assistant. Senior Citizens Services Inc., Lima, Ohio
Major: Recreation
Follow your heart.
From 1981-87, Susan worked as assistant supervisor of the telecommunications department at Sherman and Howard Law Firm in Denver, Colo. Although she received an Employee of the Year award in 1983, Susan decided to leave the position to pursue her dream of obtaining a bachelor’s degree in recreation.
From the office to the classroom.
Susan chose Bluffton for its Christian roots, respected recreation program and small classes, which allowed her to form a rapport with professors that would have been nearly impossible otherwise. While attending classes, Susan worked with senior citizens in the wellness program at the YWCA in Lima. “It was extremely difficult,” says Susan of her workload as a full-time student coupled with the responsibility of financing her education.
Discovering her passion.
Shortly after graduating from Bluffton at age 42, Susan married her husband, John, with whom she had reconnected at their 25th high school reunion. “I met John in the first grade,” says Susan. She moved to Alaska where John had been living for 18 years. While there, she took classes with his former yoga instructor. “I’ve been hooked ever since,” she says. She is now pursuing a master’s degree in integral yoga therapy at Antioch University in Yellow Springs, Ohio.
Picking up where rehab leaves off.
Susan integrates yoga and meditation-based classes into the wellness program at the Senior Citizens Services Inc., which has sponsored the local Senior Olympics for the past 10 years. “We pick up where rehab leaves off,” says Susan of the responsibilities of fitness instructors. Developing fitness programs requires a lot of talking, patience and listening, she says. “Most of the seniors are appreciative and listen to our instruction. Some of the time, I don’t think they realize that this is what we do for a living, I think because we have so much fun. To me, having fun means we’re doing our jobs.”
Personal growth as preservation of youth.
Susan feels that the physical and meditative aspects of yoga give it a therapeutic power, which contributes to the wellness of individuals who practice yoga, teaching senior citizens to emphasize what they still have. “It’s important for people to understand that 60 is not what it used to be,” says Susan. “Listening to your dreams preserves youth, and I think that older people are beginning to see that they have options, that they have mobility. In past generations, people committed to their jobs, regardless of their dreams.”
Back to Bluffton.
Susan is returning to Bluffton in the spring of 2007, but this time as a professor rather than a student. “I’ve always wanted to teach, and I want another shot at further developing my career,” says Susan. As an adjunct professor, she will teach exercise physiology and show students the path to becoming a fitness instructor, providing them with the tools they need to be certified and pursue careers in the field.
— Katie Wrabel ’08
