My name is Kseniya Yakovenko and I am a first-year Kinesiology student. I consider it a huge honour and accomplishment to have been accepted into the UBC School of Kinesiology with a Presidential Scholar’s Award this year. You see, my family immigrated to Canada from the Ukraine in the early 2000’s with very little in their pockets, and I am the first person in my family to go to University in Canada.
It’s amazing to me that I got into the program, as I have always feared not fitting in or being behind academically, as English is not my first language. My parents immigrated to Canada so my brother and I could have a better life and more opportunities. Consequently, I did everything in my power to make sure their sacrifice was not in vain. Earning this scholarship has allowed me to pursue my dream of a post-secondary education!
I chose to apply to UBC’s Kinesiology program because it came across as one of the most welcoming, interactive, fun, and innovative programs at UBC. Now, being one semester in, even though school is online, I can confirm that all of those things are true. Upper year students have made me feel welcome, and professors have been very understanding of the unprecedented circumstances in which we are studying. Although these circumstances are challenging, I have already met many other first year Kinners online, as everyone is so open to making new friends in the virtual realm. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we cannot wait for the day to meet everyone in person, especially because we get along so well virtually!
Another big reason I chose this program is because I love sports and love being part of a team, which is what this program is all about. I was inspired to go into KIN after I suffered injuries as an athlete and saw how my mental health was impacted as a result. Not being able to play varsity volleyball or pursue rugby due to two ACL surgeries really impacted my identity as an athlete. I had to figure out who I was without sport.
I hope that one day I will work with young athletes to promote injury prevention methods so that common injuries like ACL tears are better understood and possibly prevented. Awareness around mental health is also really important to me, so I am really happy to be a part of the KiWe team for the KUS! It has been really tough to get involved in activities with everything being online, but KiWe has been super supportive and something I look forward to being involved with every week. Overall, I cannot wait to experience the KIN program to its full potential when we are all back on campus.
After my degree, I hope to either go to medical school or continue my kinesiology studies through grad school somewhere abroad. When I’m not studying, I like to play guitar, ski, and hike! I am also a huge spike ball and volleyball fan, so that is what I spend most of my time doing on sunny days. I hope to meet some of you out on the court some time when COVID ends!
