Featuring Delanie Heil of Loup City, Neb., who is majoring in Applied and Human Sport Physiology.
Given her passion for helping other people achieve their goals, majoring in Applied Human and Sport Physiology at Wayne State seemed like a natural choice for Delanie Heil. The senior from Loup City, Neb., is this week’s subject of the Student Spotlight Series.
Ultimately, Heil’s goal is to work in an environment where she can help those with neurologic conditions achieve the highest level of independence possible and experience life to the fullest. However, attending Wayne State almost didn’t happen for Heil.
“Coming from a small town, I knew I wouldn't thrive at a large university; otherwise, I was kind of at a loss for where I wanted to go,” said Heil, who is minoring in Psychology. “Wayne State was the only school I toured. I was accepted and received notice I had been awarded the Board of Trustees Scholarship. Due to some unfortunate timing, I didn’t have a lot of time to make my decision. I toured Wayne that week and immediately fell in love with the town, the campus, and the atmosphere. After that tour, I knew Wayne was the place I would thrive, personally and academically.”
“What impressed me most about Wayne is how easy it was to become immersed in the community,” continued Heil. “Without realizing it, I became tightly woven into both the campus and the community of Wayne. Nothing brings me more joy than walking down the sidewalks on campus and being stopped by someone to chat or simply seeing a smiling face. This sense of community doesn’t involve just the students; the professors, especially in the Health, Human Performance, and Sport Department, have taken the time to get to know me and understand my goals and challenges. The support from both my peers and the faculty at WSC has made my college experience better than I ever could have imagined.”
Heil didn’t just thrive inside the classroom; she thrived outside of it as well.
At Wayne State, Heil serves as president of the President’s Philomathean Honors Society and the Exercise is Medicine Club. She is the vice president of the Pre-Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy Club and secretary for the Honors Club. She is also involved with Alpha Lambda Delta (honor society for first-year academic success), Pi Gamma Mu (international honor society for the social sciences), and intramurals.
Heil has served as a Peer Tutor for the Holland Academic Success Center and as a Peer Mentor for TRIO Student Support Services.
Heil will graduate from Wayne State in May and then pursue an Occupational Therapy Doctorate at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha this fall. Following the completion of this program, Heil plans to become a licensed occupational therapist and begin practicing.