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Thank you to our Rise interns

As our interns finish their final week with us at Rise, learn what their next steps are and a little more about what they learned in their time at Rise.

Emma Gronholz

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These past 16 weeks, we have had 4 interns with us from NDSU’s Exercise Science Department. Below, each of our interns share what they have learned during their time at Rise, as well as a parting message to you, our members. 

Thank you to all of these awesome interns for being so eager to learn, help our members, and be a valuable part of the Rise family for the last few months!

Dawson Persons 

  • Future Plans: This summer my wife and I will be headed down to Estes Park, Colorado to work with a youth ministry. While there, we will be leading excursions such as hiking/backpacking, rock climbing, and mountain biking. In the fall we’ll head back to the Fargo/Moorhead area and my wife Abby will enter her senior year of nursing school at NDSU. I will be excited to join the Rise team full time in mid-August and help out in whatever way I can! 

  • Top Skill Learned at Rise: I have learned so much at Rise this semester. One skill that stands out is programming. Through conversations with Chase, Emma, and Megan, I have learned so much about how to program effectively for the population we serve. I feel better equipped as a coach to explain the “why” behind every exercise I program for clients.

  • One Thing I am Grateful For: I am very grateful for the opportunity to have worked with such an amazing team. The staff at Rise are truly authentic in their desire to serve the members. I have been so encouraged and challenged by all of them and count myself as blessed to have worked alongside them. 

  • Parting Message: Thank you to all the members! You all make it so easy to come to work each day. Even when the alarm goes off early each morning. Remember that consistency is everything, so stick with it! Don’t look for a shorter/easier route. Continue to show up each day. Choose to find joy in the process, not just in the goal. 

Anthony Peters

  • Future Plans: Fire Up Rise Community! This summer I will be working as a coach with you all at Rise as often as I can! I will also be getting married on May 25th in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and then heading to Greece the second week of June for our honeymoon! Then, at the end of July or early August, my new wife and I will be moving down to Las Vegas so that she can begin her law degree at UNLV in the fall. In Las Vegas I hope to find a coaching job very similar to what I am doing at Rise. 

  • Top Skill Learned at Rise: The top skill I learned at Rise was how to be flexible in workouts and exercises to meet the needs and goals of the members. With such a diverse community at Rise, I learned how important it was to adjust whole workouts and individual exercises depending on what was needed at that time. 

  • One Thing I am Grateful For: From my internship, I am grateful for the opportunity to build my confidence as a strength and conditioning coach. All of the coaches have pushed me to get outside my comfort zone, and every member I have worked with has continually encouraged that, as well! Learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable has made me a much more confident coach, and I cannot express my gratitude for that enough.  

  • Parting Message: THANK YOU! Thank you for the education, the passion, or the constructive criticism, the encouragement, the laughs, the safe space to grow as a coach and as a person, and for the community at Rise. I am so excited to continue working with everyone all summer! 

Jessica Pham 

  • Future Plans: In mid-May, I will be packing up and taking my dog and I onto another adventure in Bismarck. I will be continuing my education at U Mary in Bismarck to study Occupational Therapy! Over the summer I will be working at Scheels in Bismarck. Feel free to come visit me anytime! I will also be working at Anne Carlsen until school begins. I am super excited for this new chapter in my life to start here shortly.

  • Top Skill Learned at Rise: I learned how much work goes into programming and the thought behind each individual movement. Every movement we do at the gym is for a specific reason or to lead up to a goal. Rise is amazing at incorporating exercises to meet everyone's goals whether it's fitness related or everyday life. I hope to use this skill for my current and future workout programs. Not only that, but I hope to also be able to use it for my future clients and be able to answer the “why” behind movements.

  • One Thing I am Grateful For: I am grateful for the sense of community that I have been able to establish at Rise and for all I’ve been able to accomplish with the help of the members and coaches. Rise has become like my second home, and I hope to find the same type of community in the future.

  • Parting Message: I will miss you all greatly and I have appreciated getting to know everyone that has walked through the doors of Rise. Thank you for helping me grow in the last few months, and I hope to continue the growth and wisdom that I have absorbed during my time here. Hopefully I’ll be able to stop in every now and then when I come back home to Moorhead. 

Yoni Barnnie 

  • Future Plans: Shortly after graduation, I will celebrate with a family trip to Las Vegas. This summer, I will begin my Master’s program in Athletic Training at NDSU. I plan to continue working at StretchLab while also picking up a second job—likely at a beauty store or within the beauty industry. Long term, I intend to combine my passions for health and beauty, pursuing both my esthetics license and personal training certification. I’m excited for the journey ahead and anticipate eventually moving out of North Dakota when the time is right.

  • Top Skill Learned at Rise: One of the most valuable lessons I learned at Rise is the power of early mornings, consistency, and being fully present—even on tough days. I realized that I’m not just here to be here; I’m here to serve others. Initially, assertiveness was a challenge. I used to think coaching meant being loud and commanding, but I learned that being authentic, leading by example, and sharing my knowledge was enough. I also strengthened my communication skills, especially in social settings and public speaking. 

  • One Thing I am Grateful For: I am deeply grateful for everyone at Rise. Being part of such a positive, authentic team has been an incredible experience.The staff and members are not only committed to strong work ethics (in coaching and working out) but also genuinely care about the well-being and success of their community and each other. At Rise, excellence is found in the everyday moments—a dynamic unlike anything I had experienced before. This environment has left a lasting impact on me. 

  • Parting Message: I want to thank Chase for giving me the opportunity to join this amazing community and to leave a small, meaningful imprint. I truly enjoyed every one-on-one session and the relationships built through them.To all the members: you are accomplishing more than you realize, and the benefits you’re creating are long lasting. I am honored to have been a part of your journeys. Keep showing up, keep grinding, and remember—there’s a purpose behind everything you're doing. I’m leaving Rise more confident, capable, and enthusiastic than when I first started. My time here confirmed what I now believe about coaching: it’s not about simply being "nice"; it’s about being kind. As Chase taught me, a nice person might make things easy for you, but a kind person will hold you accountable, push you to be your best, and believe in you without sugar-coating the truth. That is the type of coach—and person—I aspire to be.