Pair of PESH seniors to be honored at national conference

Two CWU Physical Education and School Health (PESH) students are in Cleveland this week for the annual SHAPE America conference.

But Madi McAuliffe and Nick Bates aren’t just attendees; they are among the recipients of the national organization’s Major of the Year award.

PESH Professor Dr. Tanjian Liang said this is the first time two CWU students have been recognized in the same year at the SHAPE America conference, and he can’t think of anyone more deserving than McAuliffe and Bates.

“Wherever you go in this profession, having a strong sense of community is everything,” Liang said. “Madi and Nick both understand the value of community service, and they continually demonstrate their commitment to making other people’s lives better through education. That’s why we nominated them for this award.”

McAuliffe’s penchant for community service and desire to continue learning caught Liang’s eye over the past year. The more he learned about her, the more he became convinced that she was a natural fit for the SHAPE America award (SHAPE stands for Society of Health and Physical Educators).

“As professors, it’s our job to figure out what our students are doing by talking to them after class,” Liang said. “You’d never know Madi was so involved in the community if you didn’t talk to her. She is humble and keeps a low profile, but what she’s done is really impressive. She truly enjoys contributing to her community, and as her professor, I have an obligation to help advance her.”

McAuliffe agreed that she isn’t much of an attention-seeker, but she believes she’s still been able to make a difference during her five years in Ellensburg despite her soft-spoken approach.

“I don’t like the spotlight,” said McAuliffe, who will receive dual degrees in PESH and secondary education this spring. “I know I’m a good student and a good person, but I’ve never seen myself as someone who would be considered for an award like this. To have someone say that I deserve that kind of recognition means a lot to me.”

Likewise, Bates doesn’t try to draw attention to himself. He prefers to keep his head down and focus on doing whatever he can to help others — particularly young people.

“I love being in the gym working with kids,” said Bates, who worked at the YMCA during high school and has also served as a youth basketball coach. “It took me a few years, but I finally realized that what I really wanted to do was teach PE. Once I figured out what my passion was, school became a lot easier for me.”

In addition to being a full-time PESH student, Bates also teaches physical education at Damman Elementary School, located a few miles outside of Ellensburg. The school district has been working closely with PESH in recent years to give their students a much-needed physical education outlet while providing classroom experience to aspiring educators like Bates.

He teaches four classes a week, creating unit plans, writing lessons, and tracking his students’ progress. The experience he has gained so far has been career-altering.

“It’s been great to get some real teaching experience while I’m still in school,” Bates said, adding that he will be involved in selecting his replacement from the incoming PESH cohort next fall. “This job has really helped me improve my teaching skills, and my confidence level has gone way up. I feel like this experience has prepared me really well for my career.”

McAuliffe has held a number of jobs during her time at CWU, including working as a preschool teacher in Ellensburg and a volleyball coach at Kittitas Middle School. She has also served as an orientation team leader for CWU and is the former vice president of the CWU women’s club soccer team.

Most of her free time has been spent in the Publicity Center, where she has worked for the past five years.

“I’ve had a lot of odd jobs and opportunities that I feel have prepared me well for what I’m going to be doing after college,” McAuliffe said. “I’ve learned so much here, I am really looking forward to what my future holds.”

McAuliffe will complete her student teaching practicum this spring at Ellensburg High School before pursuing a master’s degree and, possibly, a doctorate.

“I’m still deciding which graduate school program I want to do,” she said. “But I do know for sure that I want to be a physical education teacher. I really enjoy being involved with kids and the community.”

Professor Liang is confident that both students will go on to successful teaching careers, and this week’s SHAPE America conference is just the beginning. He hopes to see more community-focused educators like McAuliffe and Bates discover everything the program has to offer.

“We are the largest PESH program in the Northwest, and we really are setting the standard for excellence,” Liang said. “We are fortunate to have so many great students like Madi and Nick, and our faculty is very proud of what we have been able to create here.”