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.”