Howard Payne University students Casey Dufner, Derek Gifford and Micah Hunter recently passed the American Council on Exercise (ACE) Personal Trainer Certification Exam. The three kinesiology majors were seniors during the 2022-2023 academic year.

According to the ACE website, the exam is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.

Teresa Cavitt, assistant professor of kinesiology, noted that the challenging test demonstrates credibility and the certification is well recognized in the health and fitness industry.

“In kinesiology, this is a very worthy achievement,” said Cavitt. “One is not considered a true professional in the personal training field without passing an academically rigorous competency exam.”

Dufner, from Austin, was honored at HPU’s May 2023 Commencement for graduating with a 4.0 GPA. Throughout his time at HPU, he also received two Who’s Who awards, the male Outstanding Scholar-Athlete award, the Nat Tracy Servant Leadership Award and an American Southwestern Conference (ASC) Medal of Honor. He was also named to the ASC Outstanding Sportsman Team of the Year and to the Academic All-Conference list. He will be a student in HPU’s Master of Education in Sport and Wellness Leadership program in the fall and will play one more year of football through an unused year of eligibility. Dufner plans to attend the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center to earn a master’s degree in prosthetics-orthotics.

Gifford, who graduated Summa Cum Laude in May 2023, is from Stephenville. He played baseball for four years at HPU. He was also the Student Government Association representative for Fellowship of Christian Athletes for two years. Gifford aspires to be a college baseball coach.

Hunter of Waco will officially graduate at the end of HPU’s first summer term. He played tennis for the HPU team for four years. In addition to passing this certification exam, Hunter is a certified group fitness instructor through ACE and a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

These three individuals’ qualification to work as personal trainers is especially relevant in the current job market. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, employment of fitness trainers and instructors is expected to increase 19 percent from 2021 to 2031, a higher rate of growth than the average for all occupations. Approximately 65,500 openings for fitness trainers and instructors are anticipated annually, on average, over the decade.

“With the aging Baby Boomer population, the need for personal trainers will increase,” said Cavitt. “This demographic also has disposable income to hire a personal trainer at top dollar. The growing need for trainers to instruct children, in an effort to address the childhood obesity epidemic, will make our HPU students very marketable in the days to come.”

For more information about HPU’s Department of Kinesiology, visit www.hputx.edu/kinesiology. Applications are being accepted for admission to HPU for the fall 2023 semester. To apply, visit www.hputx.edu/apply.