Flexman, Tyla
After I graduated from Kinesiology (then known as Human Kinetics) in 2009, I played field hockey full time for the Canadian National Team. I was fortunate to travel the world playing for Canada, competing in the Commonwealth Games in India and the Pan American Games in Mexico. I retired in 2012 and began working at Fortius Sport & Health, which was a great opportunity to combine my Kinesiology background and my interest in business.
I then pursued an MBA and landed a summer position at Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, and upon graduating I secured a full-time position in Global Partnerships. While at MLSE, one of North America’s leading sports & entertainment organisations, I was fortunate to work with many global brands on impactful marketing partnerships. My role at MLSE led me to my current role at Lyft, leading partnerships for Canada as Lyft expands the business internationally. At Lyft I get to launch new markets, new products and develop innovative partnerships for Lyft in Canada.
My most memorable moments at UBC seem to be balancing sports with school! I played on the Junior National Field Hockey Team in my first and second year and the Varsity Field Hockey Team for my 5 years, so I was always on the go. It was a work hard play hard mentality and a constantly chaotic juggle but I wouldn’t change any of it! My teammates made the wild ride so worth it and they continue to be lifelong friends and inspirations on and off the field.
I had many different career aspirations throughout my studies at UBC, which I think is quite common. Originally, I wanted to go into Physio but by the end of my degree I wanted to study Public Health and now I work in partnerships at a transportation tech company! My kinesiology knowledge has helped me throughout my life because kinesiology is so applicable to living a healthy life. I certainly learned time management skills, the value of being curious and how to build relationships. All of which has served me well in my career. The combination of playing Varsity while also managing school continues to serve me well and would prepare anyone for a leadership position.
Ritika Saraswat
Ritika is a third year Kinesiology student in the interdisciplinary field. She is interested in working with the elderly in the future and is hoping to combine marketing with Kinesiology. As a busy Kinner, outside of her studies and the mentorship program, Ritika plays basketball and badminton and is the Senior Sport executive for the Sikh Student Association (SSA). She serves as the social coordinator for the Exchange Residence Association (ERA) on campus and is also the social media manager for the mental-health organization My Restful Mind (MRM).
Some of her favourite professors have been Paul Kennedy and Mario Gallo. One of her favourite courses has been KIN 261: Health Policy and Society; and the mentor she has been partnered with this year is KIN alumnus Atila Ozkaplan (BHK ‘01, MSc ’04).
Ritika joined the KIN Mentorship Program to get more insight into the variety of experiences and opportunities open to her in the field of Kinesiology. She believes that having a mentor will help guide her in identifying and approaching these opportunities. Ritika recommends that other students apply to the program “because it not only opens up the horizon of opportunities but it’s also a good way to become comfortable with the networking process and build professional relationships.”
One of the most important things Ritika has learned so far in her degree is that “everything is subjective, everyone is different and so what might work for one person or group will not work for others. Modification and persistence is key to adapting and progressing.”