On Thursday, May 23rd, 272 Kinesiology undergraduate students crossed the stage at Chan Center. The graduates came to UBC from all over the world. 233 are from British Columbia; and internationally we have students from the United States, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Kenya, South Africa, Australia, and France. 18 students graduated with co-op distinction. 10 Kinesiology varsity student-athletes graduated. And 14 KIN graduate students graduated this year.
Sara Hodson BHK 2002, founder and president of LIVE WELL Exercise Clinic, who has been named as one of BIV’s top 40 under 40 list for 2018 gave some advice to the recent graduates.
“Today if anything just remember the word reach. Reach forward and reach high and I have no doubt that you will achieve that. Also, stay grounded, reach down and be present. Accept the moment that we are in. You have so many years ahead of you, stay grounded and be in the present moment. More importantly I want to talk about reaching forward. Reaching forward is continuing to push and strive ahead. Continuing to think of the other people who graduated on the stage with you today. How can you move forward with them? How can you move shoulder to shoulder and support each other as you continue into your professional lives? There are careers and opportunities that do not even exist today, the and people in this room will go on and achieve them. So, continue to reach forward and push yourself to be the absolute best that you can be. Probably, the most important: reach back. Being super balanced as a human that is a professional means that you have one hand reaching forward holding on to the future and the professional opportunities that you have, and the other hand has to be reaching backwards or you will fall. And reaching back means giving back. Does not mean with money I know you are all freaking out you have student loans and all these different things but it means your time, it means your passion, it means your effort, it means contributing. Reach back by identifying how you can still continue to contribute to the school how you can continue to inspire the people who are maybe two years behind you. How can you reach back and inspire the future graduates? You are the closest example to them that they will have. I’m old compare to you guys, maybe what I have to say isn’t as timely, but what you have to say and your opportunity to reach back will not only inspire the future generations but it would motivate and empower you to be a better human and a better professional, and a more grounded person. And so today if anything just remember the word reach. Reach high, stay grounded, reach forward and reach back.”