From conquering the challenges of graduate school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to balancing her role in the U.S. Air National Guard, Katelyn Barganier is not just pursuing excellence in her master’s degree in exercise physiology; she's redefining what it means to be a determined and multifaceted individual.

"I chose to serve because I wanted to challenge myself, travel the world, and learn more about different people," states Barganier. "I've been in Birmingham my entire life, and joining the military is an excellent opportunity to get to know people from all walks of life. That's what joining has done for me."

During her time at UAB, Barganier has balanced monthly drill training, guard duties, and being a full-time student while preparing for a big life transition - deployment.

"Katelyn was always on top of her work and would meet regularly, allowing her to stay on track and prepare for her deployment,” states Sam Cauffman, Kinesiology instructor and graduate program coordinator. “She was passionate and always worked hard to achieve her goals."

Shortly after starting the EPH program, Barganier discovered she would most likely do one of her last semesters while deployed. Little did she know it would be her final semester and cause her to miss graduation.

"About six months into the program, I worked with Sam Cauffman to re-arrange my schedule so that all of the online courses available in the program could be during my last semester and the end of my journey," said Barganier. "He was so great to work with and helped me plan my schedule."

Faculty in the School of Education worked with Barganier to ensure she could complete all required courses that met in person, like specific lectures, labs, recitations, etc., before she began her deployment.

Barganier started her deployment around the halfway mark of this semester and continued her courses while abroad. She says the biggest challenge is the time difference and being homesick.

"Juggling being deployed has been a huge adjustment," states Bargainer. "Going from being a regular full-time student to a full-time student and deployed member of the Air National Guard has been challenging. I've never had to work six-night shifts a week and maintain my grades while being in a different time zone. But I've made it work and am excited to graduate."

Although she has completed her master’s degree in exercise physiology, Bargainer cannot return and walk across the stage in her cap and gown at the fall commencement ceremony. However, she looks forward to returning home and proudly wearing her UAB cap and gown with her diploma.

"I have enjoyed my time at UAB. It's been a short year and a half, but it's been life-changing, and I'm so excited for what the future holds."

Some of her favorite memories in the EPH program are with classmates in instructor Marissa Bello, Ph.D.'s Exercise Testing and Prescription course.

"Dr. Bello's class was really challenging initially because she pushed us to participate in class discussions. Making participation part of our grade made the class more fun and allowed us to understand the content better. By the end of the course, we were all engaging and learning like it was second nature."

Once Bargainer returns home, she plans to apply for physical therapy school with dreams of staying in Birmingham and attending UAB.