Students come to AACC with a variety of past experiences. Meredith Dales’ path was guided by movement, creativity and the desire to lead by example.
A dancer, skin care practitioner and artist, Dales’ lifestyle has been rooted in wellness. “What brings me joy is moving. What brings me joy are deep conversations or taking my dog for a walk if I'm being completely honest,” she said. “And what brings me personal joy is diving in and trying to figure out what I'm made of or what I want.”
That mindset led her to pursue a degree from AACC’s Kinesiology program. “Kinesiology is a movement,” she said. “It's a wellness source that does not cost money if done in certain ways. And it's deepening my skills.” The program, which offers national certification training, helped Dales build on years of experience in wellness while preparing her to enter the professional health and fitness space more fully.
Dales’ experience extends well beyond the classroom. For nearly 20 years, she’s volunteered off and on at Dance Place in Washington, D.C. That commitment recently turned into a job offer that affirmed her passion and inspired her to take the next step: creating her own nonprofit dedicated to making movement more accessible for all.
Still, one of her biggest motivations is closer to home. “So, I wanted to come back to school because I have a son and I want to be a role model continuously,” she said. Dales’ 19-year-old son is also an AACC student. “I want to show him that you can always learn, you can always grow and always follow your dreams. … What skills I really wanted to sharpen were leadership skills.”
That drive also pushed her into leadership at AACC. When several Student Government Association members vacated their positions over winter break, Dales stepped up. By February, she had been elected to the highest leadership role on campus – SGA president.
“I got to dive into what being a leader really means, what characteristics really define a leader and what skills you can develop in order to really create change,” she said.
Dales won’t have to wait long to put those lessons into action. She’ll walk in this spring’s commencement ceremony, ready to keep moving forward personally, professionally and with purpose.