Brandon Jackson
B.S. Kinesiology and Health Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, 2024
Greetings to all! My name is Brandon Jackson, a proud graduate of Louisiana Tech University. This university was my dream college since I was in elementary school, and it still holds its prestigious legacy. I graduated in the Fall of 2024 with a Bachelor’s in Kinesiology & Health Sciences with a Certificate in Health Coaching. I am now a Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach with the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC)!
During my junior year, I found myself at a crossroads. I knew that I wanted to go further with my degree, but I didn’t know in what direction, so I prayed and waited on God to reveal His next steps for me. Then, one day, as I was in class, the professor brought up that Dr. Reichter would be hosting a seminar about health coaching. At the time, I had no true knowledge about this profession, but I was intrigued, so I went to the seminar. While at the seminar, Dr. Reichter passionately poured so much out to us, and I felt in my spirit that I had found a profession for me.
What is health coaching? Health Coaching is a partnership between a coach and a client, and in some cases, multiple clients in a group setting. The purpose of this profession is to partner with a client as an ally, so that they can achieve a potential goal. Some examples of possible goals are as follows: dieting, stress management, self-improvement, and the list goes on. Our main goal as coaches is to work with clients so that they can use the tools they discovered in health coaching in other areas of their lives independently.
Leaving that seminar, I knew that this was something I wanted to do. Since health coaching was kinesiology-based, I only needed to add a few extra classes to my degree plan to obtain the certificate; the other required classes I had already taken or was on pace to take. Classes like Advanced Health Coaching and the Internship were immensely beneficial in preparing me for the next level in health coaching. After finishing up all the requirements to receive the certificate, I chose to go after the NBHWC board exam. I made this decision because I saw how impactful health coaching could be. I saw an advancement in how we normally treat clients/patients in the health field. Health coaching is not just about conquering goals, but it’s about improving lifestyles. Studying for the exam was somewhat daunting because I didn’t know what to expect. A few things that helped me better prepare for the exam were relying heavily on a mentor, mine was Dr. Reichter, studying materials learned in the classroom, utilizing tips and help from the NBHWC online page, and most importantly, prayer, in Jesus’ name!
My advice for anyone interested in health coaching with an associate’s degree or higher, regardless of their major, is to go after the certificate; it’s readily accessible, plus the program at Louisiana Tech was exceptional. Even if a student doesn’t want to be a health coach, the communication skills and overall knowledge learned from the courses were beneficial. This certificate would be extremely beneficial for any student seeking a kinesiology degree in both Health Sciences & Health Promotion. Louisiana Tech, alongside Dr. Reichter, allowed for a one-of-a-kind experience for me and others with this Health Coaching program. It allows students like me another route to take outside of the traditional ones that might seem like the only way.
The Exponential Factor 