Zoë Balbosa is a third-year Kinesiology student who hails from Surrey. Zoe has chosen to do the Interdisciplinary stream. She was drawn to the KIN program due to the intimate School size and believes that “KIN is a more inviting and “close-knit” School that allows people to feel a part of a community.”
“Many of my experiences with KIN profs have been positive. Dr. McEwen, Dr. Bennet and Dr. Kennedy are some of my favourite professors so far.” One of Zoë’s favourite classes has been KIN 488 – Interprofessional Health Mentors Program. “The course runs throughout the year and gives students the ability to be mentored by an individual who either has a chronic disability or is a caregiver themselves.” She also enjoyed KIN 206 – Introduction to Statistics in Kinesiology with Dr. McEwen.
Zoë started playing softball when she was six years old, “I continuously played up until the pandemic hit. It was very strange to stop playing softball due to lockdown because it has been such a big part of my life. I probably wouldn’t be in KIN if I didn’t play softball.” Zoë currently serves as a member of KIN’s newly founded KUS BIPOC Committee and UBC’s Black Student Union (BSU). “Similar to many other BIPOC students, I find it helpful and comforting to be a part of a space that highlights, discusses, and aims to improve the university experiences of BIPOC students. I have made many close friends in these clubs/committees and achieved great things with them.”
When asked about the most important aspects she has learned from KIN so far, Zoë states “it is important to remember to not be too hard on yourself. In first year, I felt like I didn’t belong because of the discrepancies in grades I received in comparison to high school. I’ve learned that this tends to be the case for many first-years because of the change in environment, expectations, routine, among many other factors.”
When asked about her future, Zoë says, “Although I get asked this question frequently, I still don’t have an answer! I hope that whatever I choose to do, I will truly enjoy it. I am interested in helping others and hope that this desire will come into fruition in one form or another.”