Today we’d like to introduce you to Chellana Kwas and Emily Morin.
Chellana and Emily are Co-Founders of the Academy of Sports & Fitness Training, Personal Training School, in Hudson, MA. Chellana Kwas, the Director of Education, has 13 years of experience teaching in higher education, holds several national fitness & nutrition certifications, and in addition to being a former New England Patriot Cheerleader and NBA dancer, more recently earned the title of Fitness Universe Champion. Emily Morin, a NASM-CPT and PN Nutrition Coach, balances her role as the Director of Admissions and Practical Instructor, helping students with enrollment and high intensity workouts.
Now business partners, Emily and Chellana met when Chellana, the Director of Education at a similar school, had Emily as a student. Emily, an NYU graduate, was an excellent student and incredible athlete. After graduation, a position opened up at the school and Emily took on the role of the Director of Admissions. Working together they saw the value of a focused curriculum that prepares students with the skills and the confidence in the field, and saw an opportunity to expand the educational offerings in the New England area.
A fun side note, although Emily and Chellana didn’t know it, they followed parallel paths. They both grew up as dancers, whom started their undergraduate education at UMASS Amherst, who also ended up teaching at the same dance studio in West Newton- just about 10 years apart. In 2012, they crossed paths when they both moved back to Massachusetts, after they pursued their professional dance and fitness careers, Chellana in LA and Emily in NYC, respectively.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Nothing or no one is perfect, so of course there is always room for growth and improvement. A big learning curve for us was the business side of founding and owning a small business. We both had experience directing a Personal Training School, but we had to learn the ins and outs of business ownership.
Another big struggle has been getting our name out there and having it take time for people to recognize the value in what we are providing for the fitness industry. We have to remember to be patient and know that word of mouth and the success of our students will help grow our school. We seek to become a known educational choice in fitness education for high school graduates and career changers alike, and to double our number of students each year.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Academy of Sports & Fitness Training, Personal Training School – what should we know?
We are a licensed private occupational school that prepares graduates with the education, qualifications, and experience to be valuable assets in the fitness industry. We are thrilled to be partners with the best certification organizations in the industry! We currently offer educational programs for students to become a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, PN Level 1 Certified Nutrition Coach, and/or AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor. It is our goal to grow our program offerings and be THE educational resource for fitness and nutrition certification in New England.
There is a strong demand for more educated and experienced trainers in the industry. It takes more than reading a book and knowing how to lift in the gym to be a good trainer. Like any other skilled profession, there is immense value in hands-on training and skill development. Most gyms and fitness studios will not hire trainers without experience. Our Personal Fitness Training program includes 250 hours of hands-on training experience, in addition to college-level academics to prepare students to be elite fitness professionals. We want our students to become the best trainers in the industry and know that they are in high demand.
We’ve built a family. We really care about the success of each of our students and will go the extra mile to ensure they succeed in our program; and we have a great staff to support them. Our partnership was already great, and was only strengthened by adding Matias Pietropinto (our Practical Instructor) a trainer with 6 years of experience to our team. Our priority is quality education but we certainly have fun in the process!
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
We are proud of the success of our students! We can proudly share that our graduates have a 100% pass rate on their National Certification exams. And that’s not all. We are also proud of our ability to help each student in their process of attaining employment before or after they graduate with us. Our students receive an amazing education at ASFT and employers recognize this and are always looking to hire one of our students, sometimes even before they graduate! Not only are our graduates leaving with the education and experience, but also they are leaving with the highest qualifications and numerous job opportunities. We just wish they never had to leave!
Contact Info:
- Address: 577 Main St. Ste. 430
Hudson, MA 01749 - Website: www.asfteducation.com
- Phone: 978-212-5766
- Email: asftadmissions@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/asfteducation/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/asfteducation/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/asfteducation/
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/academy-of-sports-and-fitness-training-hudson-3
Image Credit:
Matthew Perkins
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