“I can’t wait to fully immerse myself in the culture.” Incoming University of Limerick student Kate on returning to education and diversifying her learning

 

Kate fell for Ireland’s charm whilst travelling there with her partner and is now preparing to start her Physiotherapy Masters in September. With an upcoming June wedding and two dogs in tow, we talked to her about expanding her career path and making the big move.

By Ruby Wrankmore

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Name: Kate

University: University of Limerick

Course: MSc Physiotherapy

Hometown: Nelson, British Columbia

Favourite animal: A snow leopard. I used to go to the zoo with my grandmother when I was little and loved the way the cub followed the mother around. I got involved in a conservation project for snow leopards when I was a bit older, and they are a nice reminder of something I did with my grandmother.

Tell me a bit about yourself.

“I’m originally from Nelson, British Columbia. I’m currently living in Calgary with my fiance and two Bernese cross dogs. We love the outdoors: camping, climbing, walking - anything to get out in the mountains. My job is in a clinic as an Athletic Therapist and I’m working to decrease barriers to healthcare, which I’m very passionate about. It has been hard-going during Covid, but we’re doing well.”

“I’m getting married at the end of June, in a provincial park back in Kimberley. It has been pushed back a few times now due to Covid, but it’s finally happening!”

How did you choose your subject?

“I’ve always been active in sports, so I have had a lot of physiotherapy growing up. My dad suffered an accident when I was younger and has lived with chronic pain ever since. When I was in high school, I volunteered for chronic pain clinics. I wanted to make a difference for people, especially for those living with chronic pain.”

“When I got to college, I added athletic therapy to my degree. I really liked the bigger picture and global outlook that this area provided. I knew that I had found a place that I wanted to continue learning from, and that I wasn’t ready to end my education there.”

“I really enjoy working with children and older people, so I wanted to diversify my learning to explore this. I’m a lifelong learner - I just never want to stop. Physiotherapy opens a lot of doors for me in terms of continuing my education and career journey.”

Tell me about how you’re preparing for the transition abroad…

“It’s difficult to move your entire family across the world in a pandemic! Things have been changing so much. The timing has been interesting, but luckily we have amazing friends in Ireland who we met on our travels there. They have helped us so much and offered us a place to stay while we get ourselves sorted. I also have a friend who studies in the Medicine department, who has been so helpful with Visa and healthcare information.”

What are you most excited about?

“From a school aspect, I’m looking forward to the teaching style. When I got accepted into the university, I got to speak to someone from my School and that made me really excited to get started. The healthcare system is so different from ours in Canada, so I’m looking forward to a new environment.”

“I fell in love with Ireland when we visited there, and my partner is really excited to play rugby. We only travelled in Ireland for a couple of weeks, and living somewhere and holidaying is totally different! I can’t wait to fully immerse myself in the culture.”

What are you most nervous about?

“I’m nervous about returning to education, and doing a Masters! Sometimes I forget about the school side of things. The preparation in the lead up to my arrival has been so under control with the University, but the rest of it feels very out of my control with Covid. For instance, renting a house with two dogs - that feels intimidating! I am more excited than nervous, though.”

How did you get all of the information you need?

“The international department at UL has been incredible. They hosted a webinar for international students early on and explained the biggest things to overcome. I love to research so I had already sought out a lot of information, but having someone verify everything was so beneficial.”

“I had never seen anything like CampusConnect before, but it’s such a good idea. Knowing that there are others out there going through the same thing as me is very reassuring. It’s also a great place to circulate information. I’ve helped answer a couple of questions already. Sometimes I have already asked a question that someone else needs to know, so it’s easy for me to share my knowledge on the app.”

“I applied to several schools but the support, resources and teaching style at UL all made me want to study there. The fact that they have CampusConnect available means that we have a community already there when we arrive, and you can’t put a value on that. When I tell my friends in Canada about it they say ‘I wish we had that!’”

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Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

“My partner and I say that we’re just going over for the degree, but we definitely see this as an opportunity. If we are able to work then we would love to continue living in Ireland.

They have an amazing budding economy and there’s plenty of sustainable development initiatives, which my partner is really into. We like to seize the moment and not overplan too much. In five years time, we will probably be back in Canada where we can be close to our parents, and maybe looking to start a family.”

“But who knows - I just want to let everything unfold before us!”