Tracy Conner

Tracy Conner is a graduate student in the Department of Communications Disorders. She has been a member of the UMass Dance team, performing at football and basketball games, as well as competing in the Collegiate National Dance Competition in Daytona, Florida. Before moving to Massachusetts, Tracy received a B.A. in linguistics and an M.A. in sociology from Stanford University where she was a member of the Dollies, the university's official dance team. Also at Stanford, she developed a talent for innovative hip-hop and jazz choreography as a member and choreographer of Jam Pac’d, Stanford’s oldest hip-hop group. She was also the director of Urban Styles, an LA-style dance troupe. Come join Tracy and have a great time dancing.

Gabriela Corbera

Gaby is a freshman this year at UMass studying Social Thought and Political Economy with a focus on International Relations. She was born in Caracas, Venezuela and lived in Curacao for the first part of her childhood. Gaby loves ZUMBA® and has been practicing for the past year. She will receive her ZUMBA® certification in October, at which time her Latin Fusion classes will become ZUMBA® classes. Her love for Latin dance and enthusiasm for working out, along with her Latina heritage, make her a perfect candidate for teaching ZUMBA®.

Carrie Guzell

Carrie Guzell is a graduate student in the Kinesiology Department. She received her B.A. in Telecommunications from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She earned her AFAA group exercise certification in 2002 and has loved aerobics ever since, especially kickboxing! You might also see Carrie working in the Body Shop fitness center in Totman where she is a Teaching Assistant. Through her high-energy style and "fitness should be fun" philosophy, Carrie hopes participants leave her classes feeling energized, stronger and healthier.

Jill Isabelle

Jill is a UMass Amherst graduate with a B.A. with honors in Women's Studies with a concentration in community health. Jill is currently working on her master's in health and wellness. Prior to joining Campus Recreation in 2009, Jill was a manager, aerobics director and personal trainer at Ultimate Fitness in Hadley, MA and sales account executive at HRD Press, Inc. in Amherst, MA. Jill has competed in fitness and bodybuilding competitions. Her certifications include first aid/CPR/AED & aerobics instructor and personal trainer from the American Sports and Fitness Association.

Emily McLaughlin

Emily is a sophomore majoring in Communications with a minor in Education. She has been dancing for 16 years and competing locally for the past 8 years. She is trained in ballet, jazz, hip hop, pointe and lyrical. Emily got hooked on ZUMBA® last year and loves the exciting, non-stop dancing to upbeat Latin music! She thinks it is the best overall workout there is! Emily will be getting her ZUMBA® certification in November and, with her dance experience and enthusiasm for ZUMBA®, her classes are sure to be a fun way to get in shape!

Ogechi Nwaokelemeh

Ogechi is a graduate student in the Kinesiology Department. She completed her undergraduate work at the University of Texas at Austin, receiving a B.S. in Kinesiology. She also received her M.S. in Exercise Physiology at Howard University. Ogechi has a strong desire to promote health and physical fitness as she completes her doctoral studies at UMass, with her research centered on physical activity and health. Ogechi has an insatiable love of dance and strives to integrate creative expression of movement in her aerobic classes, hoping to invigorate all who attend and and helping all to become healthier...one dance step at a time.

Meredith O'Neil

Meredith is studying French and biology on the pre-med track. She is certified by American Council on Exercise as a Group Fitness Instructor and is also certified in CPR by the American Red Cross. Meredith teaches kickboxing and abs and tries to make her classes fun so that people will enjoy working out. Meredith is an energetic instructor who teaches classes that are tough, but leaves participants with a sense of satisfaction and overall improved fitness.

Mike Russo

Mike is majoring in Kinesiology at UMass. He is certified through the American College of Sports Medicine as a personal trainer. Mike is also a former member of the UMass soccer team that reached the NCAA Final Four in 2007. Mike enjoys learning new sports and many outdoor activities. Mike teaches a variety of classes, including spinning, weights and abs and total body strength.

Eliza Shirazi

Eliza, a freshman from Leominster, MA, is majoring in Communications. She has been dancing for 16 years, competing for four (local and nationally) and is trained in hip hop, tap, jazz, ballet and contemporary dance. She has been teaching various forms of dance at a studio back home for 3 years and kick boxing for 2 years. Eliza strives to create challenging workouts with everlasting results while keeping her classes exciting and upbeat!

Erika Starr

Erika is a junior from Long Island, New York. She is studying Communication Disorders and wants to become a speech pathologist. Erika is also a cheerleader for the UMass football team. She appreciates group exercise to motivate both instructors and participants & encourage everyone to be the best they can be. Erika is vivacious and enthusiastic, which makes her classes a fun and energetic environment every time!