Arielle Sadaka will graduate with a Bachelors of Kinesiology in the Interdisciplinary Stream on June 17, 2020. As a Varsity athlete and captain of the UBC Track and Field team, Arielle was a highly active member of the Kinesiology student body.
Hailing from Montreal, Arielle was a transfer student from Dawson College who first went into UBC’s Faculty of Science, however, she quickly found she was much more suited for Kinesiology. “When I transferred to Kin, I found that I was seeing many of the same people in my classes which made it easier to start talking in class, and eventually outside of the classroom. With Kinesiology being a smaller School in contrast to larger faculties, it allows individuals with similar interests to meet and learn together, creating a really great environment!” says Arielle.
During her years at UBC, Arielle was a valuable member of the Student Athlete Mental Health Initiative (SAMHI) and served as co-lead in her second year. This initiative strives to promote the importance of mental health amongst athletes by increasing awareness and aims to reduce stigma. Arielle also volunteered for the I’m Going to UBC (IGUBC) program where she worked as the Program Assistant. The IGUBC invites elementary school children from inner-city schools to UBC, where Varsity athletes lead children on tours of the campus, engage them in a skills clinic and bring them to a varsity game! This past academic year Arielle also took part in the Campus Kinnection program which she says, “was a great way to connect with a first-year student and hopefully be a role model and a part of their support system at UBC.”
Looking back at her UBC track experience Arielle says, “the thing that sticks out the most is the many different, amazing people I was able to meet and connect with during my time on the team and at UBC. Coming into UBC, I really didn’t know anyone in Vancouver and was worried about meeting people on such a large campus with such a big student body. However, I immediately was welcomed by my team which made the transition so much easier and led me to make lifelong friends.” Unfortunately, Arielle’s grad track season did not occur due to COVID-19, however her proudest moment is still fresh in her mind. “My proudest moment would definitely be when the women’s team won the 2019 NAIA Championship last year, I am really grateful that I was able to be part of such a historic win!” says Arielle.
As for her ability to successfully juggle track, academics and other extracurriculars, Arielle advises “the most important thing is to be organized and try not to take up more than you can balance. I also think that being surrounded by student athletes allowed me to meet peers juggling similar things, so it did not feel like I was alone in my challenges to juggle track, school and everything else. It had also allowed us to share techniques to try to be more efficient with my time and reduce stress.”
Arielle will be continuing her education at McMaster University in the MSc Physiotherapy program as she “had the privilege of working with many therapists through my athletic career which has just solidified my interest to enter the field.”