Ali Cook

Ali (RYT Back Bay Yoga, Boston), a yogini with eight years on the mat, believes that all bodies, no matter the fitness or wellness level, can experience healing and release through yoga. With influences from many disciplines, including Vinyasa, Forrest, Baptiste, Anusara, Yin, Iyengar and restorative yoga, Ali's classes fuse intensity, strength-building and Pranayama. Ali provides participants a direction at a variety of levels and an intensity that works for them personally. Using music and meditation combined with intelligent sequencing, Ali strives to create an experience that incorporates and engages the whole self.

Allie Delay

Allie is a Communication Disorders major with minors in Psychology and Education. From Congers, New York, Allie grew up playing sports and has always had a passion for exercise and fitness. Allie works as a building supervisor and Spinning® instructor at Campus Recreation where she loves sharing her enthusiasm for Spinning®. In her classes, Allie works to make sure everyone is getting a great workout and also having a great time!

Alyssa Gaudreault

Alyssa is a Kinesiology major with an anticipated 2014 graduation. She teaches kickboxing and subs for Spinning® classes. Fitness has always been one of her passions. Alyssa began taking kickboxing classes during her freshmen year and fell in love with it. Kickboxing is a fun and intense way to stay in shape. Alyssa also enjoys participating in sports, such as basketball, soccer and track. She participates in intramural sports at UMass. Alyssa keeps classes fun but also ensures an intense workout that leaves participants walking out of the room dripping with sweat! 

Amanda Chamberlin

Amanda is currently in her junior year as an Early Childhood Education major and is also part of the Dance Program here on campus. She has been dancing since she was four years old and received her ballet training from the State Ballet of Rhode Island, where she was a soloist dancer on a full scholarship. She teaches dance and fitness classes of all ages at various studios in her hometown. She hopes to pursue a professional dance career upon graduating from UMass. Amanda received her AFAA Primary Group Fitness Certification in May 2011 and has been passionate about group fitness classes ever since. She currently teaches the new dance classes at the Rec Center, including ballet. She also teaches a dance conditioning class that will leave you feeling tightened and toned all over! She is extremely upbeat and makes her classes fun yet challenging for all levels and abilities.

Amanda Sheehan

Amanda is a senior Sociology major. After dancing and cheering for years, she found a love for movement and breaking a sweat. She began kickboxing in 2009 at Campus Recreation and fell in love with it. She got her certification by the end of her junior year. With passion as one of her most important qualities, Amanda hopes to spread inspiration among her students. She has incorporated everything from fast-paced kickboxing to slow and steady exercises to push the body and mind to its peak potential. 

Avery Hennigar

Avery Hennigar is a Public Health and Psychology double major who anticpates to graduate in 2015. Avery has always enjoyed trying many different fitness activities, but has focused on swimming, biking and running. She fell in love with Spinning® last year at UMass and then decided to get her certification. In addition to Spinning®, Avery is a certified lifeguard and swim instructor. She loves how Spinning® allows you to work at your own pace and reach new goals with every workout. Avery believes every workout should be a personal challenge but still fun and enjoyable and something to look forward to throughout the week.

Aymbre Paige

Aymbre is a Psychology major graduating this upcoming spring. She has been passionate about music and dance her entire life and has been teaching Zumba® classes for two years. Her fun music and upbeat classes will guarantee a great workout every time. Aymbre believes that personal fitness is a very important part in life, and she enjoys exploring all types of exercise. When she is not dancing, Aymbre enjoys kickboxing, biking and being outdoors.

Cassie Brown

Cassie, graduating in May with a bachelors in Public Health and Kinesiology, has been an ACE certified Group Fitness Instructor for 3 years and a certified Spinning Instructor for 1 year. Her passion for movement began with a lifelong love for dancing, which also helped her discover her interest in strengthening and conditioning the human body. She truly enjoys playing some good tunes while passing her knowledge and enthusiasm onto others during her Pilates classes as well as her notorious Hard Body class, a high intensity, high impact, interval and strength training workout. Cassie encourages every participant who enters her classes to challenge not just their body, but their mind, so they can achieve more than they realize they’re capable of.

Chastity Beach

Chastity Beach is a sophomore Public Health major. Chastity got into fitness and discovered her love for running when she participated in cross country and track in high school. She began taking Spinning® classes in college loved Spinning® so much that she decided to get certified to teach. Chastity plans to make her classes interesting with great music and fun themes for every ride!

Eliza Shirazi

Eliza is a double major in Public Health and Communication. After dancing for about 17 years, she decided to get involved in fitness and wellness. Eliza has been instructing fitness classes at the Recreation Center since her freshman year. With almost 4 years of experience, she has become extremely passionate about her classes. Eliza teaches high cardio kickboxing and soothe and sculpt. She always brings the latest moves which will leave you sweaty and toned!

Erica Poirer

Erica is a Psychology major graduating in 2013. Erica love for group fitness began during the fall semester of her freshman fall year. In the spring semester, Erica got her Spinning® certification. Erica teaches spin and tone, kickboxing and boot camp at the Rec Center. Erica has been an avid runner by participating in track during high school and charity runs in college. She thinks that group fitness classes should not only challenge you, but provide a fun and exciting way to workout.

Jacklyn Barzvi

Jaclyn is currently a junior majoring in Communication and International Relations. Originally from Queens, NY where she began her love of various styles of dance and choreography, Jacklyn is a self-taught belly dancer who later studied the art in Israel. She is the founder of the UMass Belly Dance Club and is very excited to start teaching fun, exotic and empowering classes at the Rec Center. Come join her and learn the beautiful art of belly dance!

Jen Barys

Jen is currently a senior majoring in Accounting as well as minoring in Psychology. She has always enjoyed fitness and leading a healthy lifestyle, but decided to become TRX certified after falling in love with the class in the fall semester. Although she will only be teaching at the Rec Center for one semester, she is glad she has had this opportunity. Jen will be looking for gyms to continue to teach TRX after she graduates. She is looking forward to inspiring interest in TRX and making class participants love it as much as she does.

Jenn Konjoian

Jenn is a sophomore planning to study Marketing or Communication with a minor in Nutrition or Kinesiology. Jenn plans to graduate in 2015. After participating in several sports, she got a job working at a gym in her hometown and soon involved herself in the group fitness world. Certified in Group Power and BodyPump, Jenn is also a certified personal training. Jenn teaches Tabata and P90X at the Rec Center where her high energy classes encourage participants to challenge themselves and make the most of their workout.

Jenn Krawiec

Jenn graduated from UMass in 2009 with a B.S. in Sociology with Criminal Justice concentration. She received her M.S. in Public Policy and Administration from Mississippi State University where she served as the Graduate Assistant for Intramural and Club Sports in the Department of Recreational Sports. Prior to her college education, she was an all-state runner. Her love for diverse and fun exercise routines has transformed into competing in charitable half marathons, 5k races such as Color Me Rad and the Color Run, multiple Tough Mudders, and becoming a Zumba® instructor. Jenn enjoys keeping her Zumba® classes at a high intensity level, yet staying current and up-to-date with her music and moves. She believes in keeping each class fresh and fun so that participates enjoy their workout and come back.

Jessi Pergolotti

Jessi is a Junior from Long Island. She is majoring in Nutrition and minoring in Child Psychology. After years of playing field hockey, she got involved in fitness and was instantly hooked. When she took Spinning® here at UMass Campus Recreation as a freshman, she was immediately inspired by the great music and motivation. Now Jessi teaches Spinning®, Pilates and Power Hour at the Recreation Center. You can expect to let go of college stresses, hear great music and take on a tough workout in her classes! 

Jill Isabelle

Jill graduated from UMass with honors with a B.A. in Women’s Studies and Community Health. Prior to joining Campus Recreation in 2009, Jill had competed in fitness and bodybuilding competitions. She still trains regularly, enjoys running and is always trying new things. Jill believes that family comes first, that friends should always make your life better, and the little things really do matter. Jill is focused on professional development as she continues to work on her Master’s and expand her qualifications. Her certifications include first aid/CPR/AED, and she is an AFAA kickboxing instructor, Spinning® instructor and ASFA personal trainer.

Jules Konjoian

Jules is a senior Marketing major and has been teaching Spinning® for nearly three years. She grew up playing sports and wanted to continue to pursue a life surrounded by fitness. She discovered that Spinning® was her favorite workout, as it challenged her both mentally and physically more than any type of workout, and decided on a whim to get certified. Teaching has become her greatest passion. She does her best to combine a variety of movements and music in her classes to keep her students coming back. Jules is both passionate and encouraging toward her students and works very hard to make each of her classes unique and exhilarating. Though she is VERY sad that she will be graduating and leaving the best job in the world, she is working to make this year's classes her absolute best!

Kamilla Rymwid

Kamilla is a junior English major and hopeful double minor in Sociology and French. She was introduced to the cardio kickboxing classes freshman year through Eliza's and Meghan's classes and was hooked right away. She's always been active, from being captain of the swimming and gymnastics team in high school, to being an avid hiker and runner. Physical fitness and nutritional wellness is an important part of her life. She hopes to help her class attendees gain confidence and focus, so that every participant leaves the class feeling empowered and excited for the next workout.

Katelyn Russell

An avid runner, Katelyn (RYT Back Bay Yoga, Boston) first found yoga as a means to relieve chronic, running-related injuries. However, she quickly began to notice the other physical and non-physical benefits that the practice offers and was motivated to share these benefits with others. Katelyn firmly believes that yoga has something to offer everyone and that the practice should be adapted to fit the specific needs of the individual. Drawing inspiration from Vinyasa, hip-hop, Forrest, Ashtanga, Baptiste, and Pranavayu yoga, she blends these various practices to create interesting and challenging sequences that emphasize strength, flexibility, alignment and mindfulness. A graduate from the class of 2009, Katelyn is excited to be back at UMass as a Nutrition graduate student and is looking forward to being a part of the UMass Rec fitness and wellness community! 

Kayla Clogston

Kayla is a sophomore Accounting major planning to graduate in 2015. She has always been interested in fitness but she decided to get Spinning® certified two years ago when her dad opened a fitness studio. She fell in love with leading group fit classes and became a certified TRX instructor a year later. Kayla knew she wanted to teach classes at the Rec Center since she was a freshman and was really excited to be a part of introducing TRX to the group fit schedule. She always tries to lead safe, fun and effective classes for all fitness levels.

Kaylee Devincent

Kaylee is an Animal Science major with a minor in Spanish.  Kaylee fell in love with Zumba® eight years ago and has loved every moment of it. She got certified the day before her 21st birthday in November 2011.  Kaylee also competes for the UMass Track and Field team, so she loves to stay active. Zumba® is a fun way to work out, take your mind off everything and just let loose and shake it! Come and join the party!

Kellie Bowe

Kellie is a double-major in Early Childhood Education and Communication. Seventeen years ago she began her dancing career and developed a lifelong passion for performing and keeping in shape. She started her fitness instructor career in May of 2010 with a Zumba® certification. Now she teaches Piloxing and Get Toned, two creative cardio-toning classes that will whip your butt, abs, legs and arms into shape. Kellie loves fitness and the feeling of leading her participants closer to their fitness goal.

Lauren Duffy

Lauren is currently in her junior year double-majoring in Communication and Journalism with a minor in Education. After dancing for 15 years, she stumbled into a Zumba® fitness class in high school and immediately fell in love with it. After receiving her Zumba® certification in November 2010, she taught in several towns in Massachusetts and Rhode Island and began teaching at UMass Campus Recreation in January of 2011. Lauren teaches Zumba®, cardio kickboxing, Yoga 101 and 30-minute toning and strengthening classes. Lauren's passion and energy make her classes fun and uplifting for people of all fitness levels. Her classes are an exhilarating way to get in shape and stay in shape! 

Lizzee McKibben

Lizzee is a double major in Psychology and Chinese with a minor in Spanish. She began yoga as a freshman in high school because of various physical ailments. After only a few months of practice, Elizabeth noticed significant improvement in her health. Elizabeth obtained her yoga teaching certificate from Yoga Kingdom Sanctuary, a private studio in Los Angeles, where she learned the importance of breath and meditation in yoga. Her Inyengar-Hatha-blend classes focus on Pranayama techniques as an avenue for introspection and self-acceptance of both the body and mind. She is happy to be back for her second year of instruction at UMass and welcomes all levels in her classes.

Maria Burden

Maria is currently entering her senior year where she is pursuing two undergraduate degrees -- Communication and Anthropology, with a minor in Psychology. Maria fell in love with exercise in high school. Her personal goal was to experience many styles and types of fitness classes with a spectrum of instructors, so that she could eventually teach these classes. Maria's classes combine things she's done in the past, and she loves to share what she's learned along her journey. Her philosophy in fitness is that it should be done for yourself as a positive outlet to release anything negative in your life! She will always make you go your hardest, and then even harder to help you gain confidence and happiness through sweat!

Meghan Trowbridge

Meghan is a senior Spanish and English major. She has been a student, instructor and international competitor of martial arts for about 14 years. She currently holds a rank of third degree black belt. Fighting has always been her passion, has given her confidence, and is an addicting way to work out and relieve stress. She loves sharing the discipline of martial arts with others in her kickboxing class by incorporating real self-defense techniques that can be applied in real life. Students who enjoy being challenged mentally and physically should try out Meghan’s cardio kickboxing class to push their limits in ways they never thought possible. Through her motivating and character-enhancing style of teaching, you will benefit by becoming more fit and be able to conquer any other life goal and feel great about yourself. 

Melanie Malc

Melanie is a senior majoring in Accounting who teaches a subs spinning classes. Melanie has always has a passion for fitness and after taking spinning at the rec center, she fell in love with it and got her certification in the Spring of 2012. She loves that participants can make any ride their own and work at their own level. Melanie teaches each class differently to keep them exciting and fun. You will certainly feel challenged and energized!

Michelle Nowak

Michelle is a Nursing major in the class of 2015. She got into group fitness when she was looking for a way to continue working out after her high school track season ended. That is when she found Zumba® and fell in love with it. She got certified in October 2010 and has been teaching it in many different places ever since. She has a real passion for it and it shows in her classes. Michelle believes that Zumba® truly helps her to de-stress and stay fit and happy. She hopes to inspire and motivate UMass students to join the Zumba® movement so that they can be healthy and happy, too!

Molly Shunney

Molly is a sophomore Sport Management and Journalism double major. Throughout high school, she was a three-season athlete. She has always enjoyed feeling healthy and being physically fit. When she got to college, sports were no longer a daily source of exercise and Spinning® became a great alternative. Now that she is a certified Spinning® instructor, her passion for the class - both as an instructor and student - continues to grow. She looks forward to learning more about group fitness in its entirety and hopes to have a few more certifications under her belt before graduating in 2015.

Rachel Alyward

Rachel is a senior double-majoring in Dance and Marketing. An avid performer, she has danced in shows at each of the Five Colleges and in the Boston area. She earned her 200-hour RYT Certification in June 2012 at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. At age 16, Rachel turned to yoga as a form of cross-training for dance. Her class is done in the Kripalu style with a strong focus on proper alignment, corework and breath. She hopes students will leave class feeling strong, centered and good about themselves.

Stephanie Hill

Steph is a Public Health major with a minor in Education and Sociology. Steph has always had a passion for dancing and could not have been happier to discover Zumba®. She believes that by combining her love for dancing with teaching, she provides a fun and upbeat environment for participants. Steph strives to motivate and inspire everyone who comes to her classes and leave with sweat dripping down their body and a huge smile on their face!

Tracy Conner

Tracy is a PhD student in Linguistics. Previously she earned a BA in Linguistics and an MA in Sociology from Stanford University before completing an MA in Communication Disorders at UMass. Originally from Leawood, Kansas, Tracy has moved from coast to coast for academic pursuits, but along the way she has always made time to dance. From competitive dance in high school, directing and choreographing for jazz and hip-hop groups at Stanford, to hitting the court and the national stage with the UMass dance team, and forays into Flashmobbing with her church MERCYhouse, Tracy has explored many styles of dance. At present, Tracy has also become AAAI/ISMA STRIDE certified by fitness guru Shaun T to teach cardio dance and body-weighted toning exercises toward an INSANE body.