Convocation spotlight: Siri Nelson, bachelor of arts in recreation, sport and tourism

Siri Nelson. Photo Supplied.

Siri Nelson is graduating from the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation with a bachelor of arts in recreation, sport and tourism. When she first began her academic journey at the University of Alberta, she thought she eventually wanted to be a gynecologist, and that kinesiology would be a good place to start. But when COVID-19 hit, she took a year off and came to the realization, thanks to input from friends and trusted co-workers at Campus & Community Recreation, that BARST was a far better fit for her.

Today, Nelson works with the Thousand Faces Festival as a marketing coordinator and looks forward to experiencing the TD Artist in Residence Program at MacEwan University. We spoke to her about her time at the U of A.

What are you most proud of from your time in the program?

I think finding what I am naturally good at is the biggest thing I will take from this program. I got to learn that I like organizing and executing events, but I also like being creative, expressing myself and helping people. The small parts of recreation therapy I learned were interesting, and although I am not going to be a rec therapist, I appreciate what recreation does for me and others in a therapeutic sense.

What helped you stay motivated and maintain a good work-life balance?

I do a million things all the time, but I try to keep them all things I am interested in. I am super creative and often you will find me dancing, writing poetry or creating music on ableton. I currently am working on an EP that will hopefully come out at the end of the year! I also am super-involved on campus through both my employment and my involvement with Open Styles Dance Club.

Lastly, I am a big supporter of taking a break and not overworking yourself. It is so easy to fall into the “I need to do everything right now” mentality, but my academic journey has taught me that things will wait for you if it is what you really want. It is important to meet deadlines and do well on assignments, however I think having fun is as important!

What are your go-to spots on campus? 

I like just wandering around campus and finding pop-up events going on, because they are always happening. You would be surprised how active campus is when you leave your faculty buildings!

What did you learn about yourself from your extracurricular activities?

I worked in many areas on campus! These include Campus & Community Recreation as an activity monitor and basketball recreation facilitator, at the U of A Students’ Union as the Stride student development coordinator, and at Bears and Pandas Athletics as A-team lead and event operations assistant as my practicum. I learned many things from each of these positions. At CCR, I realized my love of event planning and execution and my experience there ultimately pushed me to switch into BARST. At UASU, I learned about my love for supporting marginalized groups to be successful and how much social media content creation is enjoyable for me. Lastly, as A-team lead I realized my love for live sport and it combined both social media and event planning while also showing me how much I love announcing and being on mic. 

What advice would you give to a student thinking of entering this program?

Enjoy it! Grades and marks are important, but your mental and physical health are too. As you learn about leisure, engage in it.

What comes next for you?

I will be focusing a lot more on music — I have been accepted to the TD Artist in Residence Program at MacEwan, which I am so excited for! I ultimately want to work in social media management as it allows me to be creative and involved in my community.