On June 20, graduating students from the University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education will be joining the growing army of U of T alumni, now counting more than 560,000 people around the world. We caught up with three of the students graduating with a bachelor of science, doctorate and master of professional kinesiology degrees to learn more about their experiences and plans for the future.
Rachel (Ray Ray) Lau came to KPE from Hong Kong, in search of an undergraduate program that focuses on applications of knowledge.
“I’ve been an active person since childhood, so I’ve always been interested in how physical activity applies to various aspects of life, be it physical or mental health, and vice versa. That’s how I chose to study at KPE,” says Lau.
She describes her experience at KPE as fruitful and enjoyable.
“The professors here are very interactive during lectures and open-minded. They are also very supportive with our academic needs,” she says.
“Second, the friends I have made in the Faculty are very supportive of one another. We would study together every week and discuss course contents. We would also eat out together occasionally to relieve stress and catch up.”
Lau especially appreciated the opportunity of applying the knowledge gained in the classroom to everyday life.
“In third and fourth year, we had the option of applying for in-field placements, on top of attending lectures and tutorials. I worked as a prosector at the Faculty of Medicine in my third year, which was very helpful in applying the knowledge I learned in my first year anatomy course in kinesiology. In my fourth year, I worked as a program assistant at Fit after 50, a company run by kinesiologists. I learned how to tailor exercise programs based on my clients’ fitness levels and their health and wellness goals.”
Lau also appreciates the diversity of Toronto, which has allowed her to meet friends from so many different backgrounds.
Growing up in Hong Kong, Lau had a busy school life, with classes starting at 8:15 a.m. and after-school, extra-curricular activities ending between 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. She says that experience helped keep her on track in university, where she planned her work ahead of time – a good thing, seeing she was also on the Varsity Blues rowing team, a peer mentor and member of Exercise is Medicine Canada (EIMC), a student-led initiative that aims to enhance inter-professional collaboration among future healthcare professionals to promote physical activity for all fitness levels on campus.
“Rowing is the most challenging yet rewarding sport I have ever done,” says Lau, who trained with her teammates twice per day, six times per week. “During season, which lasts from September to November, we would accumulate up to 20 hours per week of physical activity.”
Rowing not only enhanced her physical and mental fitness, “it also built up my resilience and perseverance, which translated into other aspects of my life, such as academics,” says Lau.
She has been accepted into the medical program at University College Cork in Ireland and is waiting to hear back from a few other medical schools in Hong Kong, but whatever happens, she is excited about the future.
“I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to study abroad,” says this international student. “My experience at U of T has been amazing.”
Gerome Manson, left, will be picking up a PhD diploma on Thursday. Here he is with his friends and collaborators at KPE, Sadiya Abdulrabba and Damian Manzone (photo provided by Gerome Manson)
Gerome Manson was born in Trinidad and Tobago, but moved with his parents to Toronto in the late 90s, so he grew up in the city. When he first enrolled in KPE, it was with the intention of becoming a physical education teacher. However, the opportunity to travel abroad and do a unique project in collaboration with the Aix-Marseille University drove his interest in the Faculty’s PhD program.
“The project looked at how the environment influences our use of sensory information. The group in France has worked in cool environments such as micro-gravity and with cool populations such as judo practitioners,” he says.
Manson’s doctoral research was done under the supervision of Associate Professor Luc Tremblay at KPE and Professor Jean Blouin at Aix-Marseille and focused on motor control, specifically how we use our sense of body position to plan and control our actions.
“I measured motion tracking, brain activity and even used industrial robots to get answers to these questions,” he says.
“I really, really enjoyed my time at KPE. I have met some of my best friends here, who I am in contact with to this day,” says Manson, who is currently doing a post-doctoral fellowship at Houston Methodist Research Institute in Texas, investigating neural mechanisms underlying the functional recovery of people with spinal cord injury. “My fondest memories throughout my studies come from doing research with other students - from both Canada and abroad. I had the privilege of working with, mentoring and being mentored by some great people over the years. It is amazing to see what they are all doing now.”
Manson’s plans for the future include working in higher education, either as a professor or learning strategist.
“I discovered that I love helping others learn to do research and answer their questions just as much as I love seeking out answers to my own questions,” says Manson. “I guess I never really got over that teacher sensation.”
MPK graduate Michael Larocque presents his capstone project (photo provided by Michael Larocque)
Michael Larocque is from a small city on the border of Alberta & Saskatchewan called Lloydminster. He graduated with a bachelor of science in kinesiology from the University of Saskatchewan in 2013 and then went on to become a personal trainer and fitness manager of an executive gym in downtown Calgary.
“I did that for four years and decided it was time to go back to school, so I researched all of the kinesiology masters programs in Canada and landed on the Master of Professional Kinesiology program at U of T because it offered internships and practical experience,” says Larocque. “I wanted to make a transition from working with general populations to high performance athletes and decided this was the best pathway.”
Larocque’s internal placement was with high performance sport through the MPK Structured Experiential Learning Opportunities (SELO) program.
“This practicum exposed me to U of T’s varsity training program for multiple sports and I was able to gain valuable coaching experience with a wide variety of athletes,” says Larocque. “That experience made me a better strength coach and was very valuable in interview situations when I was looking to get a job in the industry post-school.”
Larocque also had two external placements. One with Matt Nichol, a strength coach for professional hockey players and owner of Biosteel, maker of sport drinks.
“In this placement I accumulated many hours of coaching experience with high level athletes and it also exposed me to the private strength training sector,” says Larocque. “Not only did I learn about program design and coaching but also how to run a successful business in the industry.”
Larocque’s second external placement was with the Canadian Sport Institute of Ontario (CSIO).
“I had a great supervisor there in Jeff Louie, the lab manager,” says Larocque. “He made sure to introduce me to other staff members, gave me responsibilities and tasks and was highly organized, which I appreciate.”
Larocque says he enjoyed the autonomy he was given and the wide variety of experiences, from strength coaching to exercise physiology to learning about advanced excel spreadsheet techniques. But the best part about this placement is that it led to him getting a job contract with CSIO.
“I work at the Athletics Canada East Hub and get to work with members of the Canadian Olympic track & field team,” says Larocque. “At this job I’ve met some great people who have taught me a lot and also introduced me to other strength coaches in the industry.”
Through these connections Larocque also started a job as a strength & conditioning coach at the University of Toronto Mississauga.
“I really feel that through CSIO I have been able to network with the top individuals in my profession in the city of Toronto and this would not have been possible if it weren’t for the MPK program,” says Larocque, who plans to continue to get better in his work and increase his network.
“My long term plan is to take everything that I’ve learned and start my own training facility one day.”