The Why Behind the Grind: Inside the UB ENS Trenches ft. Jenna Kersten & Rion Dugan

Two students. One shared mission. The first-ever student episode in Bulls Rise history.Jenna Kersten is a first-year Doctor of Physical Therapy student in UB's combined three-plus-three program. Rion Dugan is a fourth-year exercise science major on the pre-med track, grinding through MCAT prep while teaching as Dr. Lee Kroll's TA. They both peer-tutor across the ENS department. They both lost their fathers. And they both turned that loss into the foundation of everything they're building.In this episode, Jenna shares her story of losing her dad to a medical mistake — and the moment she dedicated her career to ensuring no other family loses someone the same way. Rion tells the cinematic story of the 9 PM gross anatomy lab where twenty silent students gathered around his cadaver bench to learn the carotid artery — and applauded when he finished. He also unpacks the mentor moment that redirected him from PT school to medical school in a single sentence.This conversation dismantles the myth that exercise science is "just gym class," explores the hidden curriculum of learning to struggle, and delivers the most poetic moment Bulls Rise has produced yet — Rion's Buffalo eternal flame metaphor about finding the work that no amount of hardship can put out.Whether you're a current student, a prospective student, a parent, a mentor, or anyone who's ever wondered if you're on the right path — this episode will land.🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, PhD, CSCS.#BullsRise #UBENS #ExerciseScience #PreMed #PhysicalTherapy #StudentLife