All photos were taken with appropriate distancing measures in place.
“UBC Students are absolutely and essential for the design and delivery of so many of our campus programs. UBC Recreation’s students are incredible leaders in our community and our diverse program offerings are lucky to have their commitment year-in and year-out. The best part of my role as a staff is getting to connect with and support students from across campus and around the world. Without them UBC Vancouver and UBC Recreation would not be what it is today – a space for students to learn, connect, have fun, grow and develop into the leaders of tomorrow.” Coordinator, Sport Clubs, Christina Donnelly
Here is part 2 of our Graduating Student series featuring students part of our UBC Recreation community. Read the following graduating student bios as they reflect on their time at UBC and also provide some words of wisdom for incoming students.
In case you missed part 1 ->
Angelica Rossi
Athlete, TSC Artistic Swim Team – 3 years
Executive, TSC – 2 years
Administrative Assistant, TSC – 1 year
Degree: Bachelor of Kinesiology
One piece of advice for incoming first-years? Join every single club you’re interested in and go to the first meeting for all of them. Worst case scenario you hate it and don’t go back but best case scenario you love it and make a ton of new friends with similar interests!
Favourite place on campus? The Aquatic Centre! It’s probably where I spent most of my time and it’s always super warm - making it a great place to study during the cold winter months!
Favourite class? ARCL 228 Forensic Anthropology or KIN 361 Athletic Training
Favourite event or activity? Storm the Wall! Watching some people scale the wall all by themselves is amazing!
How has UBC Recreation made an impact on your university experience? Starting at UBC as I was just finishing my time as a high performance athlete, UBC Recreation/TSC gave me the opportunity to be a part of a community that really values sport. I definitely wouldn’t have made some of the amazing friends I have now or enjoyed my time as a UBC student as much if I didn’t get to keep that connection to sport throughout my time at UBC.
What will you miss most about UBC? I will miss the last minute study sessions in Woodward with my friends quizzing me right before our exams.
What do you look forward to most after graduation? I look forward to seeing what the future holds for me! Hopefully lots of travelling and meeting more amazing people everywhere I go.
What is one thing every student should add to their UBC bucket list? Storm the Wall at least once! Or if you’re scared of heights try a Blue Chip cookie!
Greg Kuntjoro
Club Lead & Captain, TSC Men’s Tennis Team – 3 years
Degree: Bachelor of Arts + Master of Management Dual Degree
What will you miss most about UBC? A lot of the little things you do with friends on campus such as: running into them on campus, late night study sessions in the library, grabbing some Uncle Fatih’s. I’ll also miss competing on the UBC tennis team.
Favourite place on campus? Woodward Library 2nd floor - It’s a hidden gem of a library.
Favourite class? GEOG 310 - Environment and Sustainability. Brilliant professors and the course content really makes you think about our relation to our world.
Favourite event or activity? Storm the Wall. I was looking forward to trying as an Iron Legend (completely solo).
How has UBC Recreation made an impact on your university experience? Being part of the TSC Tennis Team has allowed me to reconnect with the local tennis community that I grew up with here in Vancouver and now compete alongside them. It also provided a chance to be more than just a student here to study, but also be part of a team that represents UBC. Not only did I get to create meaningful relationships with my teammates on the court, we were able to take that off the court too.
What do you look forward to most after graduation? Hopefully moving away from home for work and to starting another adventure, perhaps in Singapore.
What is one thing every student should add to their UBC bucket list? Play some Esports/video games in the gaming lounge located on the 2nd floor of the Nest.
One piece of advice for incoming first-years? Explore as much as you can. Attend events, try different clubs, spend time with people in your residence. University flies by. Take care of yourself and enjoy it!
Michaela Jaeckle
Floor Staff, ARC & BirdCoop Fitness Centres – 3 years
Degree: Bachelor of Arts – Major in International Relations
How has UBC Recreation made an impact on your university experience? My position with UBC Recreation was my first work experience in Canada as I am an international student, and starting this position in my first year at UBC was really valuable for my professional development. I learned a lot from my coworkers and my manager, and was able to meet people from different faculties and made new friends.
Favourite place on campus? Nitobe Memorial Garden – this beautiful garden is the perfect spot for a study break or a weekend stroll in my opinion.
Favourite class? One of my favourite classes was POLI372 Multinational Corporations and Globalization on the role of the state and of multinational corporations in the current international system.
Favourite event or activity? Storm the Wall – challenging but always so much fun and so rewarding! I participated twice during my time at UBC, each time with a team of five, and always had a great time.
What will you miss most about UBC? The countless involvement opportunities, the people and the vibrant student life – I will miss that a lot!
What do you look forward to most after graduation? For now, I am happy to have some time off to enjoy the summer in Vancouver but I also look forward to starting the Master of Management as part of the B+MM Dual Degree Program later this summer!
What is one thing every student should add to their UBC bucket list? The UBC Polar Bear Swim that happens on the last day of classes in December because it is such a unique experience! I participated in it in my first year and will definitely always remember it.
One piece of advice for incoming first-years? Tuum Est – It is yours! UBC offers countless involvement opportunities and it really is up to you to create your own experience at UBC. Therefore, I would encourage you to keep an open mind and to seize opportunities wherever possible!
Dana Dunstan
Operations Staff, Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre – 2.5 years
Degree: BSc in Biology
One piece of advice for incoming first-years? Don’t wear nice shoes on your nights out because by the end of the night they won’t be nice anymore.
Favourite place on campus? The rose garden
Favourite class? BIOL 340, introductory cell biology laboratory. It is a lot of work but I loved getting the lab experience and being able to design and carry out your own experiment with a team was really rewarding and fun.
Favourite event or activity? Winter Classic!
How has UBC Recreation made an impact on your university experience? Being involved with UBC Recreation allowed me to meet so many different people that I never would have met otherwise. Sometimes it’s hard to meet people in your classes but UBC Rec gave me something to connect to other people with and make some friends I won’t forget.
What will you miss most about UBC? I’ll probably miss the blue chip cookies the most to be honest.
What do you look forward to most after graduation? I look forward to nights not filled with homework.
What is one thing every student should add to their UBC bucket list? Watch the sunset from the cliffs at wreck beach.
Allison Hill
Volunteer, UBC Intramurals – 3 years
Operations Staff, SRC – 1 year
Degree: Bachelor of Kinesiology
What do you look forward to most after graduation? I am looking forward to making more experiences, in a different capacity, with the people that I met here and I am excited to challenge myself in exploring where my skills and values align. And most of all, when the world allows it, I look forward to travelling the world!
Favourite place on campus? Loafe Café, because I couldn’t have survived my degree without coffee and avocado toast. I loved all the coffee shops on campus, but this one stood out because of the lounge areas that I could sit at that overlook the heart of UBC Campus, which is very special to me.
Favourite class? I would have to say either KIN 363 – Leisure, Sport and Popular Culture, COMM 386R – Public Relations or FIST 300 - Cult Cinema. I know it is a wide variety, but for a KIN student, I was one with diverging interests and a movie obsession, so I really enjoyed all of these classes as well as the profs who taught them and they all played a part in guiding me for what I wanted to pursue in the future.
Favourite event or activity? My favourite would have to be KIN Camp, KIN Games, Intramurals Leagues (shoutout to my Championship dodgeball team “Snoop Dodge”) and Storm the Wall.
How has UBC Recreation made an impact on your university experience? I had two avenues of connection to UBC Recreation through volunteering with the Intramurals program and working with the SRC Operations staff. Both of these opportunities made campus feel like home, and created a very nostalgic effect for me. When I reflect back on my time spent at UBC, it is clear to me how special being a part of these programs truly was and how they played a significant role in shaping my UBC experience as a whole, as many of my favourite memories were a result of the hours I spent in those buildings and the people that I met. It allowed me to expand my leadership skills in a way that I wasn’t even sure I was capable of, and I am so grateful that I get to take those lessons with me as I approach the next chapter in my life.
What will you miss most about UBC? The people. Whether I met them through UBC Recreation, or through my own Kinesiology program, they all hold a very special place in my heart as they shaped me into who I am today. Being able to meet so many incredible humans with vibrant ambition and personalities, feels like an absolute gift.
One piece of advice for incoming first-years? "You get what you put in, so give it your all." At the end of the day, this piece of advice is what will light the fire for you to get involved and do as much as you can during your time here, because it can be the best experience of your life, or just another 4 years of school. I did everything and anything and always said yes to a new opportunity (within reason) even if it was outside of my comfort zone, and that is what got me to where I am now. If I had not gotten involved with UBC Recreation and other campus communities, I would not have met all of the amazing people that I did or had the amazing experiences that I will remember forever. So I cannot emphasize enough, you do indeed get what you put into it, so don’t be afraid to try everything and give it your all.
What is one thing every student should add to their UBC bucket list? Every student should add ‘walk around campus late at night and give speeches at every building that were significant to you during your undergrad’ to your bucket list. Due to the pandemic, most of our grad events were cancelled, so a couple of my friends and I did this as a celebration and act of gratitude before we left campus for good. It was a cheesy and silly thing to do, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. In addition, some other UBC bucket list items include ‘Storm the Wall,’ ‘Day of the Longboat,’ and ‘Win a Champ Shirt’ from an Intramurals league.