![Ken Watts uses the cable chest press machine on April 9 in Santa Barbara, Calif. "[What] people value the most in personal training is accountability," Watts said.](https://www.thechannels.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/MGSWatts-3-1200x800.jpg)
For Ken Watts City College was more than just where he took a couple of classes, it was the place where he launched his entire fitness career.
Now 33 and working full-time as a personal trainer at The Void in Santa Barbara, Watts spends his days motivating clients, keeping himself fit and doing something he loves.
After a football injury derailed his senior year a short disappointing semester at his hometown junior college left him feeling stuck. He knew he didn’t necessarily want to stay in his hometown for the rest of his life and he certainly wasn’t ready to give up sports and physical fitness.
On a whim, Watts headed off to Santa Barbara for a visit in 2011. He walked around City College’s campus, got a feel for the terrain, and took a placement test. Something about City College just clicked; it felt like the fresh start he had been looking for.
One of the first things that grounded him was joining the football team. Right away, there was a built-in community of teammates, coaches and staff who provided structure, support and a sense of belonging.
“You’re not just some kid from out of town anymore,” Watts said. “You’re part of something.”
But it was the kinesiology department that really sparked his passion. Watts had always been athletic, but City College showed him how far the subject was taken. City College offered hands-on training you’d get at a four-year college. Full anatomy labs, cadaver studies, exercise physiology testing, even real training in VO2 max and metabolic calculations.
“Equipment that we could use was high-end,” Watts said. “It made me realize this wasn’t a hobby anymore I could actually make a living off of it.”
Even the general education courses clung to him. Astronomy, creative writing or African-American music studies, those courses informed a broader perspective and gave him tools he still uses today. Although he might not remember the name of every professor he does remember the impact they had on his own way of thinking.
What truly made an impression was the culture. There was something in the City College culture how individuals cared for one another, how much the staff and faculty were committed to students’ success. Whether it was pre-dawn workouts followed by breakfast from the very friendly cafeteria staff, or guidance counselors checking in with athletes so they would keep up with classes, it all felt authentic.
Today, Watts works with clients through a private training business in Santa Barbara called The Void. He trains clients personally six days a week following what he believes has the most effect, consistency, accountability and personal attention. Although the business has changed with social media and online training now worldwide, Watts continues to believe that nothing beats working with an individual one-on-one.
“At the end of the day people want to be seen and supported,” Watts said. “Apps and AI can’t give you that.”
He credits City College with opening his eyes to what he could do and teaching him the skills to earn a living from a passion.
“There’s a lot I’ve done since then, but City College is where it all really started,” Watts said.
Correction: April 16, 2025
An earlier version of this story misstated Ken Watts’ position at The Void. Watts works at The Void through a contract, he doesn’t run it. This version has since been corrected.
