Brogan Comstock is a kinesiology alumni who is pursuing her dream career. Currently, she is a graduate student at California State University Dominguez Hills studying prosthetics and orthotics. Brogan’s undergraduate experience at the School of Kinesiology prepared her for graduate studies and the continuation of her career.

Comstock grew up in the surrounding suburbs of Minneapolis. Throughout her childhood, she always knew she wanted to be in medicine. Being a doctor, nurse, or helicopter medic were some of her dream occupations. As she moved on to high school, these science-focused interests prevailed, but she also wanted to study something that had a human application. This led her to the kinesiology program within the School of Kinesiology. 

Comstock had many positive experiences throughout her undergraduate career both inside and outside of the classroom. She recalls many fond aspects of the kinesiology major, especially the interactions with her peers and committed faculty members.

“Kinesiology ended up being a small major, so you knew almost everyone in your classes. The faculty were extremely enthusiastic about what they were teaching, I do not think I ever had a negative experience in a kinesiology class. The environment was very sports based, which was fun because there was always a group going to a game or for a run or hitting the gym after class “

Comstock was active outside of class to gain different experiences to support her future career. One position she held was at the University’s McNamara Alumni Center to help run events. Within this role, she was given a packet of information and would be expected to implement an event and build a relationship with the respective client. Comstock revealed at the time, she didn’t think this position was relevant to her career. Since then, she’s found that planning process prepared her for future clinician roles.

“Looking through medical notes before you see a patient is almost exactly the same procedure as reviewing the alumni center’s information packet.”

Besides working at the alumni center, Comstock also held an undergraduate research position at Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health System in their Motion Analysis Laboratory. This position allowed her to gain experience in prosthetics and orthotics while being involved in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). The UROP program allows students to gain research experience under a mentor, build connections in their desired profession, and publicly present their research findings within a semester. After Comstock’s UROP ended, she continued to research with this lab for course credit. She’s had such a positive experience with them that she continues to volunteer with them virtually.

Comstock enjoyed her time at the University of Minnesota, especially with the abundance of opportunities on campus and in the surrounding communities. As a student, her favorite memory was meeting her freshman year roommates.

“We were four girls randomly assigned to one room. In most cases, that would be a recipe for disaster but they became my best friends. We still talk weekly and they have come out to visit me in California.”

Since graduating from the School of Kinesiology, Comstock has found her way to California to further her education. Her undergraduate kinesiology degree and research experiences helped her decide that prosthetics and orthotics was the field she wanted to get a master’s degree in. She eventually landed on California State University Dominguez Hills because the program focuses heavily on patient interaction, requiring 300 more clinical hours than similar programs. Comstock referenced how her undergraduate degree helped her get into the graduate program. 

“My undergraduate career helped me build a basis of knowledge for orthotics and prosthetics. This includes every liberal arts class, not just kinesiology. As a soon-to-be clinician, knowing my patient’s religious background, motivation, physical activity, etc. in addition to their physical condition and the process behind the devices was exceptionally important. I did not realize how applicable all the classes were to patient care until I used that knowledge.”

Comstock aspires to be clinician after completing graduate school, hopefully working abroad. Beyond that, she hopes to get a PhD in orthotics and prosthetics or rehabilitation science and pursue research.

Her advice to current kinesiology students: “Most professionals want to help people get into their field, so do not hesitate to reach out for any questions or opportunities. Getting a “no” is rare and is not the end of the world.”

Tristen Ruesch is a graduate of the School of Kinesiology, and so much more. During his tenure with the School of Kinesiology he was President of the student-led Sport Management Association, lead intern for Gopher Sport Marketing, and an honors student. 

Ruesch, though born in Minnesota, grew up in South Dakota. As he got older and closer to college applications, he had decided that he wanted to study sport management. This desire led him to the University of Minnesota. 

“I knew that this was the place for me. All of the connections with a Power 5, Division I athletic department, all of the professional teams in the area, all of the volunteer opportunities, the reputation of the program, and the connections to the Sport Management Association. It was not a hard sell.”

Immediately after beginning his freshman year, Ruesch’s life was abuzz with activity. He credits his advisor, Tracey Hammell, for her assistance in navigating academic life. Certain that he wanted to get involved with some sort of club or student organization, Ruesch was immediately drawn to the Sport Management Association. After his first meeting, he met with SMA board members and applied for a board position. He was accepted and stayed in a board position until graduation.

“My biggest accomplishment was probably helping the group grow from 10 members in the first year back [in-person] from COVID and seeing it grow to 70 members in my senior year. There is no way I would have been able to accomplish it without the best board SMA has ever seen.”

Ruesch recalls fond memories and helpful opportunities during his education, particularly noting the impact of guest speakers and lecturers in his classes. It was one of these speakers that led Ruesch to his first sport-related job, a position at Huntington Bank Stadium. Later, he worked as an intern for Gopher Sports Marketing, eventually becoming Lead Intern.

“I learned so much about how the production of an event happens. Everything from who makes the graphics, who runs the scoreboard, how they get cued, who makes things happen on court, etc.”

Having graduated this spring, 2023, Ruesch’s next move is graduate studies. He will be joining the University of Mississippi’s graduate program seeking a master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications. He has also accepted a position as a marketing assistant in their athletics department. Having just recently relocated to Mississippi, he is spending time acclimating to his new position and surroundings. 

Ruesch enjoys spending time with friends and family, fishing, and water sports. His enthusiasm for sport is not only academic, and he enjoys watching sports in his freetime. A self-described superhero nerd, he is an avid reader of DC, Marvel, and Star Wars comics. 

As for dreams, Ruesch hopes to continue working in sport marketing.

“Hopefully [I will] work my way up to an Assistant Athletic Director of Marketing and Fan Engagement at a Power 5 institution. Perhaps even Athletic Director. Maybe even return to the University of Minnesota, too. Ski-U-Mah!”

His advice to School of Kinesiology students is, “Network as much as you can. It really is who you know more than what you know. So many people have so much good advice and connections that you would never expect. Take advantage of it as much as you can.”

He lives by Bill and Ted’s famous mantra, “Be excellent to each other, and party on dudes!”

Neil Mendonça’s is a story that, while entirely unique to his experience, contains elements common to many students in the School of Kinesiology. Hailing from Hong Kong, Neil traveled to Minnesota to attend college. He was uncertain of his academic direction until was able to find his place and carve out a spot for himself. His support system, he says, was crucial to his success in the Sport Management M.Ed. program. 

Neil grew up in Hong Kong, an experience that has uniquely shaped his perspective and experience. His stories and memories of the city are, of course, numerous. His favorite memories involve hiking, playing basketball, late night kebabs, and working at a trampoline park. 

“Growing up in Hong Kong is what prepared me for everything in life. While growing up, I was lucky to be able to be surrounded by people from all over the world. We all called Hong Kong home, but our ethnic backgrounds varied.”

Though he grew up in Hong Kong, Neil has roots in Bangalore and Goa, India. He would often visit India during his summer breaks, storing up memories of eating kathi rolls, traditional Indian sweets, and drinking coffee in a shop near his grandparents’ house. 

“The lessons I learned from being around everyone and sharing our cultures came into play when I moved to Minnesota in 2016, as it helped with acclimatizing to the local culture.”

Neil found himself in Minnesota after his experience at a community college in Hong Kong. While he was there, he realized that he would need to look outside Hong Kong to achieve his educational goals. Experiences with family friends in New Jersey and traveling with his parents brought him to Mankato. There he began to establish his Minnesota roots. 

“I was also moving to Minnesota low on confidence—despite portraying otherwise—and trying to figure out who I was and what I wanted to do with life.”

Neil finished out his undergraduate studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and graduated in 2021. Times were uncertain and he was having trouble finding a job. He had already planned to get his master’s, but was convinced to do so directly after graduation.

“The M.Ed. program at the U gave me the opportunity to start in January, and I decided to apply.”

Neil did a lot of work to integrate himself within the SoK community and build up his support network. He credits this network with much of his success. In those moments where he felt like he was at his wits’ end, he had friends and family that helped ground him. 

“Every single time I wanted to give up or lost sight of the light at the end of the tunnel, there has been a moment where someone from my support system stopped me from spiraling.”

In the School of Kinesiology’s M.Ed. program, Neil found himself afforded a wealth of opportunities. Volunteering with the Wild and at the Women’s Final Four at Target Center, he was able to meet sport management leaders. Filled with healthy debates, his classes challenged him. Thoughts were provoked and, with the liberty to express these thoughts freely and ask questions, he always left with a deeper understanding of the concepts covered. Neil found that the faculty were always supportive and willing to help. His favorite memories from the program were doing research projects with Drs. Clint Warren and Mitch McSweeney in his final year. In addition to his studies, he worked at the Lindahl Academic Center with Gopher student athletes, a position he recommends for those interested in athletics. 

“All professors had an open-door policy, made time to ensure that I felt supported, and provided opportunities and real-world advice. I always felt like I could reach out to them and ask for advice, even if it wasn’t directly related to assignments.”

Having recently graduated, these days Neil is enjoying a reprieve from the demands of academics. Despite this, he has been staying busy applying to jobs, keeping up with research, spending time with friends, and volunteering at a nearby food shelter.

During his time at Mankato, Neil set out to pursue the long-time goal for himself of becoming a commencement speaker. This goal was interrupted by the lack of in-person commencements during COVID-19 restrictions, but that didn’t stop Neil from sticking to his goal. He decided to try again at the School of Kinesiology. As graduation approached this year, he once again began the process of applying to be a speaker. The process included submitting a draft speech and résumé, answering a questionnaire, and doing a brief interview. Shortly after the interview, he was selected to speak at the ceremony. 

“I wanted to represent the international student community. The joy of being in a new environment and having a unique opportunity to create a life from scratch often masks the struggles that come with being an international student, from finding a voice, to having identity crises, to missing family, and many other things. I am very fortunate to have created a community for myself, but that may not be the case for everyone.”

“I spend a lot of time creating lists on Google Maps of sites and restaurants in cities I want to visit.”

He likes to walk and hike, often starting the day with a stroll around Lake of the Isles. He began learning to cook when he came to Minnesota and realized he missed the tastes of home. 

“Recently I’ve been more experimental with the cuisines that I attempt to cook, but my favorite things to cook all have roots in Hong Kong or the Indian subcontinent—cha siu, dal, paneer, nihari, dosa, biryani.” 

As he looks to the near future, Neil is well prepared with his Project 24–a life plan with a set of 24 goals he plans  to complete by 2024. After getting some experience under his belt, he also plans on getting his PhD in Sport Management. This desire is rooted in the realization of the impact that educators can have on students’ lives. A dream of his is to build youth sport facilities in countries recovering from natural disasters or conflict.