Student Highlight

Q & A with Academic All Canadians Award Winner Kelsey Crocker

Interviewed by Lil Crump

Coming to us from St. John’s, Newfoundland Kelsey Crocker is a current student in the School's  MScOT program. This was her first year playing basketball for Dalhousie.

You are in the MScOT program. Tell us a bit about your journey. What inspired/encouraged you to enroll in the MScOT program?  Why Dal?

 Coming out of high school, I knew I wanted to pursue a career in health care, but still had to figure out in what area I wanted to work in. After doing some research on my own, talking to friends and resources at the school, occupational therapy came up a lot. The more I got to learn about occupational therapy, what occupational therapist do and what a career in that field could look like, I was immediately drawn to that practice field. I love how versatile the job can be, the different practices areas within the scope of OT and most importantly the impact that occupational therapists can have on improving people’s quality of life. Choosing Dalhousie was an easy choice. During the time of the application, I had already been living in Halifax for several years as I attended Mount Saint Vincent University for my undergrad. I was recruited there to play on the Women’s Basketball Team, which then led to me playing my final year of eligibility at Dalhousie with the Women’s Basketball Team, during my first year in the MScOT program.
 
You were recently named Dal  Academic all Canadian Award Winner… congratulations!  Tell us a little bit about your year.
 
Thank you! When I was accepted into the program, I was finishing up (what I thought) was my last year of university basketball at MSVU. It had crossed my mind of the possibility of playing at Dal, but I wasn’t sure if it was even a possibility while doing this master’s program. As word got out that I was accepted into Dalhousie, I was contacted by the Women’s Basketball coach to see if I would be interested in playing on the team for my last season. After many conversations with the coach, friends and family, I was not ready to give up on basketball just yet, so the decision to commit to the team ended up being an easy yes. We were a young team, everyone was either in their first or second year of eligibility, while I was the only one in their fifth year. I felt that my role on the team shifted to helping my younger teammates develop for their future years to come, as mine was coming to an end. I really enjoyed my time playing and representing Dalhousie, I met some great people, got to continue playing the sport that I love, all while working towards my dream career. I had a very busy year juggling basketball and school. I felt like I was constantly running between the Forest Building and the Dalplex, rushing home to finish assignments, coaching when I was able and making time for friends and family in between, but I would do it all over again for the experiences I had that year.
 
How difficult was it to balance competitive sport with your OT student workload?
 
I’ve been balancing basketball and school throughout all my years of university, so initially I thought the same skills I had in place during my undergrad would transfer over, but that was not the case. In general, master’s programs come with a larger workload and commitment, which I was aware of, but it really hit me once I was actually doing it. Not only did I have to navigate the academic changes from an undergrad program to a master’s program, I was also trying to balance my commitment to the basketball team. At Dal, the practice and training scheduled increased, along with the duration of each in comparison to my previous team. Having to juggle an increased school and basketball schedule took a lot of adjusting and getting used to, but I was able to make it work.
 
What were the highlights at the School/at Dal during your time in the program/on campus?
 
All the people I’ve met throughout my time at Dal, from my old teammates to people in my class that have helped made my experiences at Dal that much better.
 
What were some of the challenges/frustrations you had to overcome?
 
My weekly schedule was the biggest challenge. With the heavier class schedule that comes with this program and the training and practice schedule I had, lead to some very long days. 3-4 days of the week, I would have training or shoot around at the Dalplex at 7 am, followed by class from 8:30-3:30, then I would make my way back to the Dalplex for practice at 5, that would last anywhere from 2-3 hours long. I would be spending 12+ hours a day on campus throughout the week. On the weekends I would have 1-2 games either in the city or would have to travel by bus or plane to the opposing school’s gym. Having to balance this schedule along with finding the time to study, do assignments, and spend time with friends and family was definitely challenging.
 
Another challenge, I was concussed for a period of time in the winter semester of 1st year that took me out of school and basketball for some time. Injuries in sports are already difficult to deal with, but I was more concerned about falling behind in school and struggling to keep up, especially with this kind of injury. With concussions there is not much you can do during the recovery process but rest. Fortunately, my professors were very understanding and supportive and helped me ease my way back to school, along with the help from my classmates giving me notes and helping me outside class catch up on the material I missed. Eventually I was all caught up and with time I was cleared to play basketball again, so I was able to play my last few games of my university career.
 
Did going on placement interfere with your basketball training schedule?
 
The basketball season ended before we went on our first placement so thankfully that did not interfere with anything. There were times I would have to miss school and social events with the class due to game travel, practices and other team commitments. All my professors at the time were very understanding of my situation and were very supportive of my commitment to the team and academics.
 
What advice would you give to a new or potential student who is interested in enrolling in the MScOT program/applying to Dal?
 
I would say go for it! My experience in this program has been great. The staff and professors are super supportive. You have the opportunity to make life-long friends with people that share the same/similar interest as you. If you have an interest in working in health care, versatility in a job and want to help improve people’s quality of life, this would be the perfect fit.
 
When you are not doing School work or playing basketball, what can you be found doing?  
 
I’m usually hanging out with friends and family, playing different sports and coaching.
 
What part of your future are you most looking forward to?
 
I’m looking forward to becoming an OT and finding a great starting job to help kick-start my career. I’m also looking forward to continuing playing basketball weekly with friends and past teammates.