Shalom Howe is a fourth year Kinesiology student who is set to graduate this coming May, 2021, from the interdisciplinary Stream. She recently received the Qwasen Graduating Student Award from the School! She joined the School of Kinesiology “because it has so many different academic areas included. We learn about human movement from a physical science perspective, but also from socio-cultural and psychological perspectives. I really enjoy learning and did not want to limit myself to one area, which is why I was drawn to interdisciplinary studies; it gave me the freedom to learn about everything. I am interested in researching the influences of race in sport and leisure activities. Specifically, how anti-Black racism presents itself in representation, media, social activism, and how Black athletes navigate these arenas.” Shalom will be pursuing a Master of Science in Kinesiology at the University of Toronto in the fall.
Shalom’s favourite classes have been KIN 363 – Leisure, Sport, and Popular Culture and KIN 360 – Sport, Peace, and Conflict. These courses “look at sport and leisure activities from different perspectives and challenge our ways of understanding concepts.” Shalom was a track athlete in high school, competing at the provincial level in pole vault. Since entering UBC she no longer competes but frequents the gym and has recently committed to boxing.
She currently serves as a Residence Advisor at UBC, which she believes has given her a very supportive community. “As an RA, you work but also live with your colleagues. I have made friends in Residence that will last me well past finishing university.” Shalom is the Director and Founder of the KUS BIPOC Committee, which she established in the summer of 2020 “in hopes of bringing Black students, Indigenous students, and students of colour in Kinesiology together.”
Shalom’s advice for students is to “Believe in yourself and open up to opportunities! Do not limit yourself to what you think is the right path. Try new things and engage in experiences outside of your comfort zone. Particularly if you are a BIPOC woman, do not doubt yourself and your capabilities, you belong in the lecture hall, the laboratory, the arena, and the boardroom as much as anyone else.
