3/12/2015

Elon students ask local children to 'Commit to Fit'

Elon students ask local children to

'Commit to Fit'
An event that brought sixth and seventh graders from Alamance County to
campus equipped them with lessons that will lead to healthy choices.
By Erin Turner '15
Almost a dozen Elon University student
organizations teamed up to teach more than 40
young girls from Alamance County how to stay
healthy during a Nov. 1 event called "Commit to
Fit."
The Kappa Zeta chapter of Sigma Kappa sorority
sponsored the event,which encouraged thegirls
to visit stations set up in Moseley Center where
The sixth and seventh graders visited different tables
stationed in Moseley Center and learned about healthy
lifestyle habits.

theylearned about healthier eating opinions, got

tips on relieving stress andparticipatedin group
exercises.

The event was held in partnership with Girls to Empower Teens (GET), a one-on-one mentoring
program that matches young girls with college women in order to promote confidence and health
education. Members of the program meetweekly at Elon and bringtogether sixth and seventh grade
girls from all over Alamance County.
Elon senior Kylee Bushway founded GET. Bushway isa public health and psychology double-major
who says she's always been in love with the idea of empowering and teaching young girls waysthey
can live healthily at an early age.
I got involved in a program calledGirls in Motionmy freshman year and really loved it," she said. "After
mentoring girls in fourth and fifth grade with body image, self-esteem, nutritionand healthy lifestyle
habits, I decided to expand this program. We saw great results in self-esteem, body imageand physical
activity when the girls were in fourth and fifth grade, but when we followed up with the same girls in the
program after they transitioned into middle school we noticed a significant regression.
Sigma Kappa awarded Bushway a $2,500 grant, which she put toward Commit to Fit and the GET
program.
JuniorKatharine Umbdenstock will be taking over the program next yearafterBushwaygraduatesin
the spring.
Its going to be really hard for me to leave GET because its my baby," Bushway said, "but I have faith
in the students who are here, and I know that Im leaving it in good hands for the program to only get

http://www.elon.edu/e-net/Article/82027

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3/12/2015

Elon students ask local children to 'Commit to Fit'

better."
Students interested inmentoring during the 2014-2015 academic school year should contact Elizabeth
Bailey, lecturer in Health and Human Performance at ebailey@elon.edu. Applications are accepted once
a year at the beginning of the fall semester.
Philip Jones, Staff

http://www.elon.edu/e-net/Article/82027

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