Alumni Profiles — Kinesiology

Dr. Kelly VanSlyke BScKin, 2004

CMAG, (Contemporary Medical Acupuncture) 2007; DC, 2008

I took kinesiology because I was highly involved with sports growing up and I knew I wanted to work with athletes as a "sports doctor" or trainer but I really did not know how to define a "sports doctor". I had a keen interest in human anatomy and body mechanics so kinesiology seemed to fit.

In terms of a career plan, I did not really have one. I was not sure if I was going to go into nursing, medical school, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic, but I knew it would be something like that. I took the pre-requisites for all of those schools to keep the doors open.

To tell you the truth, I really did not know much about chiropractic, but learned about it from a roommate I had in second year. I observed a few chiropractors in Fredericton and near my home town of Enfield NS. I found that every chiropractor I met loved their job, helped people improve their health, and it was all without the use of medications. They were all so excited and passionate about what they did, and that really appealed to me.

I learned that chiropractic is very versatile and has many different branches i.e. family practice, sports, pediatric, animal chiropractic and more. I applied to CMCC, but also started studying for the MCATS, just in case. Lucky for me, I got in right away… so, I guess you could say that my initial thoughts of being a "sports doctor" are now a reality.

I love how much Chiropractic can change lives. I have seen some dramatic improvements in people’s quality of life. It is so exciting to see the transformation from pain and suffering to relief. And it is all done by hand!

Whatever career you’re considering, I would encourage you to get out there and ask as many questions as you can. Most professionals are more than happy to meet someone who has an interest in what they do.

It also helps to keep in contact with the University. UNB gave me the opportunity to get to know the professors on a one-on-one, first name basis, which really is not the case with some of the big universities in Ontario and out West. This close contact with UNB gave me more opportunities when I came back to Fredericton. I have done a few guest lectures, among other things, which allowed me to give back to such a great school.

Good Luck!

Shannon Nowell, BRSS (Management), 2005

I didn’t have a career plan when I entered university. I had always been interested in sport and recreation, but I really had no idea what types of jobs might be available in that field.

I chose kinesiology because it offered a recreation degree with a management component. I knew I liked business – I had taken a two-year small business management program in college. But I wanted more than that. I wanted to combine my love of sport and recreation with management, so this degree program was perfect for me.

My degree has helped me with many aspects of my work as a youth coordinator. The program planning courses I took helped in identifying the behind-the-scenes work that goes into planning larger events. My business minor was very useful, as I have to develop and manage a yearly budget. The marketing courses have helped me in promoting events – identifying target markets and focusing the advertising strategically. I also have a supervisory role, managing a staff of five. My degree and experience at UNB taught me communication and leadership skills that have helped me deal with human resource issues in a professional manner.

One of the most important aspects of my UNB experience was my internship with the Base Recreation Association. The Recreation Association has a great partnership with the Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC). As an intern, I worked with the MRFC Youth Coordinator, planning and implementing programs. This gave me insight into the position, and I realized it was something I would very much like to do. When the Youth Coordinator position became available, I was ready!

I'm now in charge of all the programming for the school age kids, 5-18 years. We do programs for members of the military community and the local community. I am also responsible for all of the hiring, training and the day-to-day administration that goes along with being the supervisor of my team.

There are so many things that I love about my job. The people I work with are great. We all have our own specific jobs and areas of expertise, but we are always able to come together for the needs of our community. Through program partnerships we've been able to offer some great events. I love working with the families in my community, especially young people. Watching them grow and mature as they work their way through the programs is extra rewarding.

The biggest piece of advice I can offer students is to get as much hands-on experience as possible. Employers are far more likely to hire someone with applicable work experience to complement their degree than someone with a degree and no experience in the field. See what you can do to get your foot in the door. See if there is any opportunity to volunteer, get a part time or summer job or an internship. This will give you the chance to see if it's what you really want to do, plus you will begin to network and show off your work ethic to a potential employer. These are things career counselors are always telling students, but once you're out of school and trying to find work you realize how true they really are.

Annie (McClellan) Barnwell BScKin, 2002

MSc. Occupational Biomechanics, 2006, AE

I took kinesiology because I really liked science and health classes in junior high and high school, and especially learning about the body. I heard that most of the upper year classes in the Science Faculty were focused on plant biology and I wasn't interested in that, so I chose Kinesiology.

During my Bachelor's degree, I didn't know what I wanted to do, but thought physiotherapy might be my calling. In my final year, I took three ergonomics classes as electives, and became interested. I found that ergonomics consulting was a great way of applying what we know about the body and how it moves, to real world situations. In other words, helping people re-position their bodies while they work (by using different tools, working heights, etc.) as opposed to re-positioning bodies for running, jumping, or swimming. People working in the ergonomics field use the same principles as others working in more traditional biomechanics fields, for 'work-based' applications.

I started the Master's degree to further my knowledge in ergonomics and biomechanics and get some applied experience to help me find a job working as an ergonomist. My degrees from UNB provided me with the knowledge and tools I need to do my job, as well as the educational requirements to attain the ‘Associate Ergonomist’ designation – the first step towards the full certification in Canada. While completing my Master's degree, I met many people working as and with ergonomists all over North America. These contacts helped me find a job, and I still stay in touch with them to stay current with the research and to help others find work.

I now work as an ergonomics consultant, so every day is different. I see a huge variety of clients in office, food, healthcare, manufacturing, government, transportation, and automotive industries. I assess jobs and suggest different layouts, tools and techniques to improve efficiency, productivity, and reduce injury risk. I assist with designs for new processes to proactively reduce injury risk, and I also help injured people return to work, which is satisfying. I like it when I make a change in somebody's workstation and they notice a difference and tell me that I've helped them.

Hiorshi Uehara, BRSS 2008

I have always played sports, mostly soccer. I believe playing sports makes you feel more alive. I wanted to work in a sports-related field so I could share my passion for sports with others. I was interested in sport management–an area not well developed in Japan. That’s why I came to Canada to study kinesiology.

I chose UNB because I knew there would be very few Japanese-speaking people so I would have to improve my english skills. Moreover, Stella Keays, who used to be a coordinator, and Jeff Burkard, who is a director of Faculty of Kinesiology, were very kind and helpful.

I focused on sport marketing and management in my third and fourth year. My minor was business, so I took some basic business classes at the Faculty of Business such as marketing, management, accounting, organization design, and business law.

I did my internship at Sport NB. This experience gave me confidence to work in English. I coordinated the sports workshop and was involved in the sport boat festival.

I am now in Tokyo working for Nicole EuroCycle. The headquarters deals mainly with BMW cars, but we just launched a brand new road bicycle business. I serve customers, but I also help with the buying, pricing, marketing, promotions and event-management. The knowledge and experience I gained at UNB has been of great value to me in my work.

I believe the most important skill I learned at UNB is communication–in any language. Expressing yourself and understanding others is key to working in business or academia, and for figuring out problems in your personal life.

UNB has sophisticated academic programmes, and professors are very kind and helpful to any student who would like to study, no matter where they are from. The programmes can lead to great careers, so I recommend that UNB students follow their passion.

I am very proud of being an alumnus from UNB.