This is a story from The Tower – Volume 2, 2024.
At 8 a.m. CDT when many members of the Logan University community were just starting their day, Johnathan Ploke, MS (’24) was wrapping his up as a Master of Science in Strength & Conditioning (MS-SC) student in New Zealand.
Johnathan’s academic journey began at California State University, Chico, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in kinesiology and human physiology. After graduating he worked as a personal trainer but wanted additional qualifications to advance his career. He discovered Logan’s one-year, 100 percent online MS-SC program. The program appealed to Johnathan because of its accelerated pace and the freedom it provided for him to complete his required field experience anywhere in the world.
Johnathan chose to obtain his field experience with Moana Pasifika, a professional rugby team in New Zealand that was founded in 2020. His responsibilities included strength testing, leading warmups and cool-downs, and ensuring each athlete was able to perform at their best. He gained a firsthand view of what it takes to grow a professional sports team from the ground up.
One of Johnathan’s most memorable moments came when he assisted a player who was recovering from an Achilles tendon injury.
“The opportunity to help this athlete was very impactful for me,” Johnathan said. “I got to know him on a personal level and supported him through a challenging time in his career. I truly felt like I was a part of the team.”
Balancing the MS-SC program coursework and his field experience proved to be challenging. Johnathan’s week began with a three- to four-hour commute to the Moana Pasifika facility. He often slept in his car to minimize travel. He used one-hour breaks between weight training sessions and field practices to catch up on studying, leveraging the program’s flexibility to manage his demanding schedule.
“One of my biggest takeaways from my time with Moana Pasifika was learning a different approach to strength training,” Johnathan said. “In the U.S., we often focus on heavy weightlifting, but in New Zealand, it’s all about moving quickly and being agile. That change in perspective has really broadened how I approach training and assisting the people I work with now.”
Before interning in New Zealand, Johnathan briefly worked with older adults and provided post-operative care at a rehabilitation center. This experience proved to be invaluable after he graduated and returned to the U.S. to start his full-time job as an adaptive physical education instructor at Gavilan College in Gilroy, California, in June 2024. He teaches classes for older adults, including aquatic exercises and weight training and plans to introduce personal training programs soon.
“Gilroy is where I felt I could make the most impact,” Johnathan said. “My internship equipped me with the confidence and a new perspective that now helps me support my patients in achieving a high quality of life.”
Johnathan credits Logan with providing the resources and experience that prepared him for this role. Looking ahead, he aspires to pursue a Ph.D. to expand the care he can provide and ensure accessible health resources for people of all ages.
“Logan offers unparalleled flexibility,” Johnathan said. “Choosing this program opens up many doors, and you won’t regret it.”