As an exercise science major, Abby's focus for the class was on the importance of fitness and how it impacts psychological well-being.
"I knew that Greene County is one of the highest ranked counties for obesity. I went through and listed the chemical effects on your brain from when you exercise and the importance of getting started young."
"When you actually see the numbers and the percentages and the rankings like obesity, diabetes, and drug use, it’s really shocking. When you’re in it, you know that it’s going on but you don’t think about how big of a problem it is because you just kind of get used to it."
Abby wants to help her home county grow and improve.
"I want to encourage people to do sports not because they want to be super successful but because it has so many other positives. It can lower our obesity rates and our drug use rates."
The Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement improves the lives of Hoosiers through collaborative initiatives that discover and deploy scalable and flexible solutions to common challenges facing rural communities. Working in full-spectrum community innovation through research, community-engaged teaching and student service, the center builds vision, harnesses assets and cultivates sustainable leadership structures within the communities with which it engages to ensure long-term success.
Credits:
Jeni Waters