Taite Heller

Taite Heller is a dedicated student-athlete at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She is pursuing a degree in Health and Exercise Science while also completing minors in Biology and Psychology. With a 3.97 GPA and an anticipated graduation year of 2027, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to academic achievement. As a student on the Pre-Physician Assistant track, she plans to continue her education in PA school and pursue a career focused on patient-centered healthcare.

In addition to her academic responsibilities, Taite is an active member of the Wake Forest University Dance Team. As a Division I student-athlete, she manages a demanding schedule that combines rigorous coursework with extensive training and performances. Her dedication, consistency, and work ethic earned her the team’s MVP Award during the 2025-2026 season.

For the past three years, Heller has devoted more than 15 hours each week to training and performances while maintaining her academic success. Through her role on the dance team, she contributes to the game-day experience by engaging with fans and helping create a positive atmosphere at athletic events. She also supports younger dancers through junior spirit programs and participates in university events involving alumni and donors. Each year, she competes at the Universal Dance Association National Championship in the highly competitive Division IA category. During the 2025-2026 season, her team achieved a historic accomplishment by capturing the program’s first national championship in the DIA Gameday Live category.

Her involvement on campus extends into leadership and advocacy. Taite serves as a representative for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a group that connects student-athletes with the athletic department and promotes leadership development. Through this role, she helps communicate concerns, share feedback, and encourage community engagement. In 2025, she was selected to serve as the student-athlete voice at the Faculty Advisory Committee meeting for Wake Forest Athletics. This achievement marked the first time a member of the Spirit Program had been chosen for that responsibility. She was also selected to represent Wake Forest Athletics at a Leadership & Character Development Program event, where she spoke about values, team culture, identity, positivity, and mindset.

Her interest in healthcare has led her to pursue valuable research opportunities. As a Research Assistant for IGROOVE-POWER, Heller assisted graduate students with collecting and organizing muscle power measurements of the knee and ankle joints using established testing methods. This experience provided insight into geriatric research, cognitive aging, and functional movement assessment. During the Spring 2026 semester, she also served as a clinical research intern for The Osteoarthritis Prevention Study, a multisite clinical trial examining the impact of diet, exercise, and weight-loss maintenance on preventing knee osteoarthritis in women.

Community involvement is another important part of her experience. Heller volunteers at Junior Spirit Clinics and participates in Victory Day, a partnership event that provides individuals with Down syndrome an opportunity to enjoy a football game-day experience. During the Spring 2026 semester, she created “Dancing With the Deacs,” a dance program developed in partnership with the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Winston-Salem. She teaches dance sequences that encourage movement, learning, and mind-body connection. She also volunteers as a dance instructor at GiGi’s Playhouse, working with both children and adults through educational and developmental programs.

Taite Heller has been selected to serve as a Teaching Assistant in Human Gross Anatomy. In this role, she will assist faculty members with cadaver preparation and dissection, support laboratory sessions, and mentor students. She is also working toward obtaining her Certified Clinical Medical Assistant certification while seeking additional direct patient care opportunities. Through her academic achievements, leadership experiences, research involvement, and community service, she continues to build a strong foundation for her future in healthcare.