Sep. 30, 2025
Story by Rebecca Spezzano, chscommunications@missouri.edu
While summer typically means a break from studies, health science major Annie McLaughlin spent the break advancing her career.
McLaughlin interned at the Falls Free Missouri Coalition, which is run through the Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition as part of University of Missouri Extension. The coalition focuses on spreading awareness about the issue of falls among older adults.
McLaughlin’s main focus was pulling together information about fall prevention in Missouri and creating educational materials for public use. Although she learned a lot about fall prevention in older adults, she said her biggest takeaway from the experience was that “work in the health sector is truly a team effort.”
McLaughlin collaborated with professionals from a variety of health backgrounds. She said their shared input combined to strengthen every final product.
“Everyone brings their own expertise,” she said. “Knowing how to lean on those strengths and your network is so important.”
McLaughlin learned to lean on her other coalition members throughout the whole process. She said her favorite parts of the internship were the relationships she built with her supervisor and peers.
“Even though I came in with very little expertise and experience on fall prevention, they were so kind, patient and always willing to help,” she said. “I really valued that I could ask questions without being judged.”
McLaughlin’s ultimate goal is to become a licensed physical therapist, and she said this internship prepared her for the next steps toward her goal.
Not only did she gain knowledge about fall prevention, but she also learned how physical therapists can play a key role in “staying current on research and best practices.”