Student Success Stories: Dakota Peterson
Meet Dakota Peterson, a senior at UW Oshkosh pursuing a degree in Exercise and Sport Science. Throughout his time on campus, Dakota has been a part of the executive board for Kinesiology Club as well as the fraternity Beta Theta Pi, and has been a member of the Ski and Snowboard Club. Dakota said that his involvement on campus has been beneficial and provided him with the opportunity to meet new people and make connections with alumni. Besides campus activities, Dakota also spent a summer studying to get his certification in personal training through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and has been a member of the Army National Guard since 2015.
Dakota said that the Career & Professional Development office was especially beneficial because it provided him with resources that helped him land an internship. “I think students should see what the Career & Professional Development center has to offer and use any services applicable to them,” Dakota said. “The services are free and very useful. I personally used the help with my resume and cover letter to make sure it displayed my skills and education properly for the field I was applying to.” He also utilized the mock interview to connect with Bellin Health in Green Bay and was offered a shadowing opportunity with the company, which led to an internship offer from Bellin HealthTitletown. “I had an interview with one of their personal trainers and she really liked me, so she recommended me to the strength coaches,” Dakota said. “I shadowed in January, applied for the internship, and they pretty much skipped the application process and just hired me.”
Dakota said in five years he sees himself working with either high school or college aged athletes as a strength and conditioning coach. “I enjoy helping people learn the proper techniques for different lifts and helping them build on that to get stronger or meet their own goals,” Dakota said. “It’s very motivating for me to see clients improving and accomplishing things that make them excited.” The biggest piece of advice Dakota would offer other students is to find what they enjoy doing and join an extracurricular group to expand their knowledge and networking even if it’s not related to their major or minor. “Being around a group of similar people can be very motivating and push you to better yourself in ways you didn’t know were possible or that you wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience otherwise.”
Career & Professional Development has partnered with many academic departments across campus to engage students in completing a mock interview. Practicing your interviewing skills is important to your professional development. Engage in a mock interview when you are able or connect to our interviewing resources offered through Big Interview!
Congratulations on your achievements, Dakota! We wish you the best of luck moving forward!
