With physical inactivity on the rise, the California State University, Northridge Department of Kinesiology decided it was time for a change. One Matador in particular has stepped up to increase healthy habits in our community.

CSUN kinesiology alumnus Dario Senftleben ’12 won the 2014 President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Community Leadership Award for leading the expansion of 100 Citizens — a program that allows kinesiology students to teach free group exercise classes to participants from the ages of 18 to 80. Senftleben is one of 44 recipients nationally to receive this award. He has served as a leader and example of how this program benefits the community as well as students.

Steven Loy, the faculty advisor to the program, nominated Senftleben for the award.

“Dario has been a tremendous force in the growth of 100 Citizens,” said Loy. “He was responsible for establishing the infrastructure that has led our students to take on an expansion to three additional parks in Canoga Park, Sylmar and La Crescenta.”

Senftleben said he helped create an organized program “with a structure and hierarchy that is effective and can be replicated. This gave the students and participants a direction and the program sustainability.”

On May 16, students, interns and participants gathered at the Recreation Park Aquatics Center to celebrate Senftleben’s award. San Fernando Mayor Kazim Hosein recognized him for his key role in the expansion of the 100 Citizens program.

“These awards have been the highlight of my life since receiving my bachelor’s in 2012,” Senftleben said. “But these awards do not just belong to me. They belong to all of us that represent 100 Citizens. I could not have accomplished this if we did not have our participants. … [the award] was a celebration of what we in kinesiology do as a team of passionate people trying to make a difference in the world.”

In 2011, Senftleben joined the program as a volunteer instructor and returned in summer 2012 as the program director.

“It was a rough start until Dr. Loy told me these words: ‘Take ownership,’” Senftleben said. After hearing those wise words from Loy, he began to pour more energy into 100 Citizens, and the participants and students began to feel the difference. The program grew from 35 participants to 50, then eventually 100.

“The 100 Citizens program has been successful because we have participants that want to gain the health benefits of losing weight, like lowering their blood pressure and having the ability to play with their kids,” Senftleben said. “At the same time, the students gain valuable experience working with the public, being involved in an internship that is operated as a business and making sure they understand what they are doing. There is a win in this for everyone.”

The program helps kinesiology students realize they have the potential to change the health of a community, Senftleben said. He hopes the program will inspire kinesiology students across the nation — just as his faculty advisor inspired him.

“I have Dr. Loy to thank because he saw something in me that I didn’t know even existed,” he said.