Aayush Malhotra completed his BKin at UBC and will now receive his Masters in Kinesiology on June 2nd. Aayush says that during the COVID pandemic, “I was presented with a choice regarding how I wanted to spend what turned out to be quite a long time in isolation. I felt it would be more productive to continue bettering myself and learning more about a topic which I am deeply passionate about. So I applied, and was accepted, into the MKIN program at UBC. Looking back, I am thrilled that I was able to dedicate much of my time during the pandemic to becoming a more well rounded student and professional!”
As with many students, the academic year ended up being rather isolated for Aayush, but he worked collaboratively with students across different faculties for different mental health initiatives, such as the AMS Peer Support. As a result of this particularly challenging year, Aayush advises others, “it’s okay to reach out for help. Life is hard on its own, but especially in a global pandemic it can quickly become overwhelming. This year more than any other, I have leaned heavily on my professors, on my family and on my fellow students. Having done so, I was able to end the semester on a high note and have weathered my own difficulties during the year. I think that the ability to recognize when your personal resources are being exhausted, and to then take the steps to find support, has been the most valuable learning experience that I have derived during the year.”
Aayush hopes to use his MKIN degree as a jumping off point into other physiology-related fields, such as pursuing a PhD in comparative physiology (a subset of zoology) or in medicine where he aims to become a surgeon in the long term. In the meantime, he plans on enjoying himself and making up for lost time due to being quarantined for the better part of a year.
