Month: July 2019

With summertime at the peak of its powers, not only is it time to ensure the barbeque is fired up and the mini-fridge is stocked, it’s time to introduce myself as the newest member of the Advancement Team at St. Mary’s University for the summer.

While a position in communications is brand-new to me, the campus and university is not, as I have had the pleasure of attending the university for the past three years and look forward to continuing my education here in the fall as I aim to put some more finishing touches on my Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. This distinction in psychology afforded me an opportunity work in children’s mental health as a youth and family counsellor for the past two years, and I intend to extend my experience there once my degree is finished.

Going from youth and family counselling to adding a role in Communications coordinating might seem like a bit of a contrast, and it is! I’m very excited to diversify my experience and as some people around the university already know- it meshes well with my penchant for writing that I first began a couple of years ago when I started a website focusing on personal growth and well-being. Feel free to check it out at http://www.thefiveyouneed.com and let me know what you think!

In addition to being a part of the student body for the past few years, I have also had the pleasure of being a member of the men’s basketball team here at the university. Coincidentally, the man in charge of the team, my coach and mentor, gave me the alley-oop for the position and I’ll do my best to dunk this one home (for those that don’t know what an alley-oop is, that’s alright- come down to Glenmore Christian Academy this season and we’ll do our very best to show you! We open at home October 19, women at 6 pm, men to follow). Optimism within the Lightning program is at an all-time high, with the mixture of key additions and positive growth a cause for excitement for a surging program. And if you’re not familiar with the women’s program – they’re poised to remain the perennial championship threat they’ve established themselves to be. Like myself and every athlete from each program can attest to, the rise of St. Mary’s on the post-secondary athletic scene is largely attributed to the increasing support from the school’s own – so come show some love and we’ll do our best to represent you right.

Being a student-athlete is one that comes at a price, albeit one consisting of dedication and time. Athletes are happy to pay with their time and commitment each year in academics and sport. Life is all about balance, and academics is a great balancing act to perform alongside athletics, perhaps a job, and a personal life (what is that?).

As I’m going into my fourth year, I’m no stranger to the demands of this fantastic juggling act that I’m privileged enough to do for two more years. Daily practices, weekly games, homework assignments, and Sunday work shifts make for a recipe to accelerate time by way of always being busy – and it will always be a valuable lesson learned on time management and priority setting. Success in class is paramount, meaning staying on top of schoolwork is essential. If some bus rides are long and tedious enough to want to study, then hey, I’ll take it! Needless to say, however, is that passion fuels productivity much better. Athletes train and compete because of a passion for a hobby that they love, and utilizing this in other areas of life is something I’ve found both to help and further other facets of life. Finding activities, classes, and jobs that have the ability to invoke true passion is a vital part of being able to truly flourish in everything we choose to do.

I’m taking this to heart, meaning I’m very excited to demonstrate a passion for writing and organization within the St. Mary’s University community- stay tuned!