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Photo supplied by Brennon Colgan.

Brennon Colgan first learned about the study of human movement in junior high, and was immediately hooked. But when it came time years later to choose a program at university, he knew the responsible thing was to carefully examine all of his options. After all, he was strong in math and came from a family of engineers – both parents are Â鶹ÊÓƵ engineering grads. So he decided to compare engineering and kinesiology. The choice turned out to be an easy one. “Kin just looked so much more fun!” he says, laughing. Now, five years later, he’s graduating with a bachelor of kinesiology, reflecting fondly on his time in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation.

For Colgan, the faculty has grown to feel like a close family, but during his first year that feeling was difficult to come by – it was entirely online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even under those challenging circumstances for a self-described “big people person,” however, instructors did their best to build a warm, engaging atmosphere — and to this day he remains friends with the people he met in his first-term anatomy lab. 

Once in-person learning returned, Colgan made up for lost time by getting involved in a wide variety of work and volunteering experiences. He spent a year as vice-president, external in the KSR Student Society, where he helped organize the kinesiology segment of U School, an annual program that brings in elementary school children from rural and underserved areas to show them what university is like. “It was so satisfying and inspiring to be part of helping those kids see themselves here,” he says.

Later, as president of the student society, he had the opportunity to help usher in a bit of a culture shift. “We had good dialogue with faculty leadership about traditions that could be changed to reflect changes in society,” he says. The group focused on two major projects — revamping the annual first-year kinesiology orientation camp, and changing up some of the social activities typically offered to students throughout the year.

During the first eight months under his leadership, the student society worked on revitalizing the first-year camp itinerary. They spent hours collaborating on possible ideas and met with faculty and the dean of students to make sure their ideas were appropriate and would be correctly embedded. “We got to re-envision what that experience was and make it more positive and welcoming,” he says. 

Colgan also led the student society in adding more inclusive activities to the student social calendar, which traditionally had been filled with high-intensity sports. “Now, we still have the sports, but we’ve added things like game nights, paint nights and study sessions.” He noticed right away that apart from a few students who, as he says, “go to everything,” a completely different group gathered for the new events. “I’m so proud that we helped more of the students feel at home, and I’m grateful to have worked with a great team to make that happen.” 

Since his original plan was a career working with high-intensity athletes, Colgan felt very fortunate to be a student kinesiologist during his third and fourth years, gaining valuable hands-on experience with the Golden Bears volleyball team. Moving from an assistant to lead, he grew more comfortable with things like providing basic first aid, taping, muscle work and soft tissue release. “It was cool to feel I was doing a good job, especially with the soft tissue release, instead of just hoping so!” he remembers. It was especially thrilling to be with the team and celebrate when they won the national championship in 2024.

The further he got in his degree, though, the more Colgan realized a career in athletic therapy might not be what he wanted after all. “It involves crazy hours and lots of travel, and while I enjoyed that work I learned I don’t think I love it enough to dedicate to that,” he says. A practicum with KSR’s experiential learning lead , facilitating the faculty’s transition from practicum to in-field learning model, helped illuminate a different path.

In-field learning involves multiple, shorter opportunities for hands-on learning throughout the degree instead of a longer intensive at the end. Colgan spent his practicum helping to organize and facilitate several micro-placement experiences and organize an event to thank the placement hosts. “This helped me realize I am really more interested in planning and managing events and working behind the scenes,” he says. “I like to think it allows me to help provide the general population with more opportunities and access to activity, rather than focus only on elite athletes.” 

As he begins looking for career opportunities that best align with his skills and interests, Colgan thinks back on his first year and what he might tell someone getting ready to embark on a kinesiology degree like his. “Grades are important but so are connections,” he says. “Spend time with friends, meet new people and try new things, this will set you up well. Keep an open mind, don’t close any doors, and you may end up going in a totally different direction than you thought you would.”