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When Jordan Mansfield’s elementary school teacher asked the class to draw what they wanted to be when they grew up, most papers showed astronauts and superheroes. Not Jordan’s. She drew herself as an engineer, briefcase in hand, ready to tackle any challenge. The only thing missing was a soccer ball.

With two sisters who played the sport, soccer ran in her blood. By the time she entered high school, the Vancouver native was certain about two things: she wanted to be an engineer, and she wanted to play soccer.

Although she had her eyes set on Dalhousie Engineering, not everyone shared her confidence.

“There were a lot of people that told me I would have to pick soccer or pick engineering and that I wouldn't be able to do both,” she says. “To be honest, that was really difficult because I was set on doing both.”

A conversation with Kaitlyn Woodworth, a fourth-year Dal engineering student and varsity soccer player, changed everything. Kaitlyn had balanced both academics and soccer and reassured Jordan it was possible. She had also been recognized multiple times as an Academic All-Canadian, one of the highest honors a university athlete can earn.

“She told me it was doable and that if I needed help, she would be there to support me,” says Jordan. “I had kind of been unsure about Dal, not because I didn't like the school or the soccer program, but because I wasn't sure I would be able to do both. And honestly, she was probably what sold me on coming to Dal in the first place.”

Balancing Act

Now in her fourth year of mechanical engineering, Jordan has learned to manage a packed schedule of classes, labs, group projects, practices and games.

"I'm someone that likes to plan stuff. I sit down on Sundays, which is the end of our soccer week, and I create a schedule for the upcoming week,” she explains. “This includes meal prep, when I'm going to study, when I have class, when I have practice, when I can lift, and when I can do my assignments.”

Jordan says support from faculty has also been key to her success, with professors offering guidance, flexibility, and resources when schedules conflict with games or practices.

“There have been a couple profs who have been super helpful and let me write midterms at a different time for things that I just couldn't miss,” she says. “I can't say enough for how much I appreciate the support from the profs because it really makes a big difference, not only academically, but also on the field if I don’t have to stress about what I'm missing.”

Leading the Way

Jordan’s hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. For three years in a row, she has been named an Academic All-Canadian, an honour that recognizes student-athletes who maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher while competing in varsity sports.

Now as a veteran player, she has also taken on a leadership role with the team, helping younger teammates navigate both success and setbacks.

“There are six of us who get together and chat about how things are going with the team,” she says. “If the coaches need player input, or if the team recognizes an issue, it goes through the captains and then usually the leadership committee. It’s a way for us to get together and figure out what we can do to fix things or to just benefit our team environment and culture.”

Her support proved invaluable this year. After a dominant regular season and a bye into the semi-finals, the team faced a heartbreaking playoff loss in a penalty shootout.

“It was really disappointing to finish that last game with a loss in a penalty shootout. And I think that we as a team 100 per cent knew that we could have won that game,” she says.

Her role as a senior meant helping younger players process the disappointment while keeping morale up.

“The younger players look up to the more senior players,” she says. “As a senior player, there’s a mix of emotions, being disappointed and frustrated, but also making sure the younger players know that things aren’t always going to go your way. Consequences like that feel bigger than others, but ultimately, it isn’t the end of the world. There is always more competition, more games, more practices.”

Lessons on and off the Field

And it’s lessons such as these that Jordan says have had a profound influence on her engineering studies.

“You’re going to lose games sometimes just as often as you win. Learning how to pivot, take challenges in stride, and figure out how to improve has really carried over into my classes,” she says.

“If I get stuck academically, I try to approach it the way I would on the field: break it down, work on it, get better, and ultimately succeed. For me, those skills go both ways between school and soccer.”

Her experience on the field has also helped her handle academic pressure.

“I know what it feels like to step on the field and feel at home, with everyone cheering for you,” she explains. “That’s helped me think about how I handle pressure in a midterm or other stressful academic situations. There’s absolutely a lot of overlap between performing in sports and performing in school.”

And for any prospective athlete worried about pursuing an engineering degree while competing in a varsity sport, Jordan now knows that anything is possible.