Mount Olive's Rebeccah Hecke Selected For Prestigious Internship At National Strength And Conditioning Association
Athletic News
Rebeccah Hecke Selected For Prestigious Internship At National Strength And Conditioning Association
Rebeccah Hecke, an exercise science major and a member of the Mount
Olive College women’s soccer team the past two years, has
been awarded a prestigious internship with the National Strength
and Conditioning Association (NSCA) in Colorado Springs, Colo. The
internship is for the fall semester and begins September 1.
Hecke, a senior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, has compiled a 3.96 cumulative grade point average over the last four semesters after transferring from North Greenville University. She received a Continuing Education Scholarship from the NCAA and was a finalist for the 2009-10 Conference Carolinas Murphy Osborne Award. Hecke has also won numerous conference, regional and national academic honors. On the field, she was a starting midfielder during her senior season and tied for the team lead in assists.
The NSCA is recognized as the leading organization for strength and conditioning and human performance. It is located in the same city as one of the U.S. Olympic Training Centers and does a significant amount of work with Olympic athletes.
“In my internship, I will eventually be training a variety of athletes and professionals, from members of the USA Hockey Team and the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team to martial arts fighters and members of the Special Forces,” said Hecke.
After submitting an application in late spring, Hecke was among the top candidates selected for a telephone interview, then brought up for an in-person interview during the summer. She helped her own cause by attending a conference at the NSCA shortly after applying for the internship.
“I had the opportunity to meet the NSCA staff at the conference,” said Hecke. “So in a sense, they had already interviewed me in person. Incredibly, I was selected!”
Hecke hopes the internship might lead to a full-time position at the NSCA. But she knows the experience will move her forward in her career goals.
“My goals are to earn a master’s degree in exercise physiology or a similar field,” said Hecke. “I hope to work for the NSCA or a similar organization. Long term, I want to be a successful performance specialist and impact the world of athletic performance.
While Hecke’s talent and initiative helped her land the internship, she credits Mount Olive College for getting her where she is.
“I’m very excited and honored to receive the internship,” said Hecke. “The course work at Mount Olive prepared me for this position. Getting selected for the internship is definitely a tribute to the exercise science program at Mount Olive.”
