Finding Your Next Chapter Through Experiential Learning

After more than 25 years in technology, Kundana Palagiri found herself thinking about what she wanted her next chapter to look like. Her interest in health and well-being had grown steadily over the years, beginning with a personal challenge she set for herself while raising three children and managing a demanding career: climbing Mount Rainier. The experience transformed more than her physical fitness. It showed her the power of small, consistent changes and sparked a deeper interest in helping others improve their health and well-being.

Kundana Palagiri, Duke Health & Well-Being Coach Training Graduate and Founder of Next Summit Health Coaching

Learning by Doing

What distinguished the Duke Health & Well-Being Coach Training for Kundana was its emphasis on experiential learning.

“The program is highly experiential,” she said. “You do not only learn coaching concepts. You practice coaching and experience what it is like to be coached.”

Throughout the program, students develop coaching competencies through weekly practice sessions, mentorship, self-reflection, and real coaching conversations. Rather than focusing solely on theory, participants gain firsthand experience applying coaching skills while deepening their understanding of their own health and well-being.

The Power of Self-Discovery

For Kundana, some of the program’s most valuable tools were the Wheel of Health and the Personal Health Inventory.

“When I completed my first assessment, I could see more clearly how the different areas of my life were connected,” she said.

The coaching conversations that followed helped her examine her goals, values, and aspirations more intentionally. At the same time, repeated coaching practice helped her build confidence in supporting others through meaningful behavior change.

Her experience reflects a key element of the Duke approach: students often gain insights about themselves while learning how to guide others.

Building Confidence Through Practice

When Kundana began the program, she questioned whether she could become a health coach without a professional background in health, fitness, or coaching. Through weekly practice, feedback from mentors, and the experience of both coaching and being coached, that uncertainty gradually gave way to confidence.

“The repeated practice and guidance from our mentors gradually built my confidence in my ability to coach others,” she said.

Her experience demonstrates how experiential learning can help students develop coaching skills while preparing them to pursue new opportunities professionally and personally.

Applying the Training After Graduation

A few months after completing the program in 2026, Kundana felt ready to pursue a new direction. She launched Next Summit Health Coaching, where she now works primarily with busy midlife professionals seeking to build sustainable health habits.

Today, she helps clients clarify their goals, identify obstacles, and take practical steps toward lasting change, drawing on the coaching principles and skills she developed through the program.

Advice for Prospective Students

Kundana encourages prospective students not to wait until they have every detail of their future mapped out before enrolling.

“You do not need to have your entire path figured out before enrolling,” she said. “Be prepared to participate, practice, reflect, and learn about yourself as well as the coaching process.”

For her, the program provided more than coaching education. It offered a structured opportunity to explore new possibilities, gain confidence through experience, and connect with a supportive coaching community that continues long after graduation.

Ready to Discover What’s Next?

Whether you’re exploring a career transition, looking to deepen your coaching skills, or seeking a more meaningful way to help others thrive, the Duke Health & Well-Being Coach Training provides the hands-on experience, mentorship, and evidence-based approach to help you move forward with confidence.

Learn more about the program →