“Hype yourself up, before you psych yourself out!”  These are the words that I constantly yell at my peers . . . in the spin room. This past August, I became a certified spin instructor. My decision to become a spin instructor was encouraged by my classmate Ben Minerva. Ben knew that I was going to spin classes daily and questioned why I did not just become an instructor.  Fast forward after months of training and making playlists, and I have been teaching spin classes at Boston College’s Margot Connell Recreation Center four times a week. 

The highlights of my week have often been filled with moments from my spin classes. Spin has acted like a safe haven for me from the stresses that come with being a law student. Someone once told me that the feeling of being nervous is identical to the feeling of being excited. I use my spin classes as a way to channel my law school fueled nerves into the exciting energy that comes with teaching a spin class. My spin classes have also been a space where I have grown so much as a person. I learned how to find and use my voice, how to troubleshoot problems on the spot, and how to build trust and rapport quickly with those who barely know me. All of these lessons, in my opinion, are transferable to my legal career. 

The BC Law community has been so supportive of my passion for spinning from the start. My dear friend Austin Fahnestock came to every single one of my “training” classes, watching me gradually take over someone else’s spin class over the course of three months. My audition to become an instructor included a room where half the participants were from BC Law. Since then, the support I have been given has only grown.  At each class I am welcomed with familiar faces, often those from the law school, coming to my class to break a sweat. Presently, most of my regular participants have been students and professors from the law school.

Recently, I threw myself a birthday party (don’t worry you didn’t miss it, it’s March 6th 😉 ) in my spin class. For the first time ever, there was a standby list for one of my classes. The spin room was packed, and mostly with faces of those I knew from BC Law. Their presence in my class was a present enough, but my friend Andrew Dubsky took it a step further. At the end of my class, I was surprised with an outburst of the class singing “Happy Birthday” and a birthday card presented to me. Andrew had gotten every single one of my regular participants, even those who do not attend BC Law, to sign the card. I cannot express enough how much this meant to me. 

I share my love for spin with you for two reasons. First, I think it is important to have something outside of law school that is a constant in your life. It does not have to be spin class, just something that helps you destress and brings a smile to your face. Second, once you find that something, share it with those around you. It might help you build connections you did not think you would have made and even strengthen ones you already have. My friends joke that a big part of my personality is being a spin instructor, and they are not wrong. I am proud of it, because it has brought out some of my best qualities. Hopefully, you can find something that does the same for you. 

P.S. If you do want to take one of my classes, I teach every week: Monday at 6:15 am, Tuesday at 7:15 pm, Friday at 7:15 am and Sunday at 12:15 pm!

---

Melissa Gaglia is a third-year student at BC Law. Contact her at gagliam@bc.edu.