First-year HDFS PhD student Sara King is new to her doctoral program and Corvallis and grateful to her cohort and everyone she’s met since moving to Corvallis in 2023.

What made you interested in OSU and the HDFS program in the College of Health?

I have a background in psychology and an interest in child and adolescent development in particular, so the HDFS program fit with my interests very well. I appreciate how interdisciplinary OSU is, bridging multiple fields to create unique research collaborations.

How are you engaged outside your coursework?

I am a former collegiate gymnast on the Slovenian National Gymnastics Team and joined the club gymnastics team here as a way to continue to engage with the gymnastics community and stay active while doing what I love.

Although I am very busy with my academic workload, I take priority in making time for activities that bring me joy, keep me healthy, and quite frankly, keep me sane.

What are your research interests?

My research interests are on the intersection between sport and positive youth development, specifically on how to create healthy sport climates that foster enjoyment and positive experiences in order to reap the benefits of a sport and movement context beyond just athletic success.

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