Giving all you can

Katie Hollinshead. (NIck Pearce Photo)

The description “well-rounded” just doesn’t do justice to Katie Hollinshead, a dynamo on and off the soccer pitch. The biology student is the captain of the women’s soccer team, a regular on the Dean’s list and was recently named a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) top eight academic all-Canadian.

Only one male and one female student-athlete from each of four regional conferences are selected for this impressive honour. Ms. Hollinshead was selected as the female athlete from Atlantic University Sport (AUS), a conference that has 363 academic all-Canadians, including 62 from Dalhousie. 

“I was surprised and astounded when I found out. It’s a big honour,” she says. “I was pleased to be the Dalhousie nominee, but I didn’t think I would actually get the award.”

To qualify as an academic all-Canadian, a student-athlete must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 80 per cent or better over the academic year while competing in a varsity sport. Dalhousie ranks ninth in the country for the number of academic all-Canadians, and is tops in the Atlantic region.

On Wednesday, Nov. 21, Dalhousie celebrates its academic all-Canadians with the ninth annual academic all-Canadian luncheon.

From Calgary, Ms. Hollinshead maintained a 4.24 GPA during the 2006-07 academic year, earning eight A-pluses and two As in a full course load of 10 courses in the demanding science program.

She graduated in the spring of 2007, but returned this fall to finish her fifth year of eligibility with her team, a great decision for both parties. This is the first season she hasn’t been hampered by injuries and her performance has reflected her good health. The five-foot-nine striker finished the regular season with nine goals, which made her Dalhousie’s top goal scorer and tied her for third place in the conference. She was also named an AUS first team all-star and a CIS second team all-Canadian. Not to mention that women’s soccer team had its best season in six years and competed in the CIS Championship.

“Katie is a role model for all student-athletes and all Dalhousie students in general,” says Jack Hutchison, head coach of the women’s soccer team. “She leads our team both on and off the field.”

Being a team leader is a role Ms. Hollinshead takes seriously: “I do feel like I am a leader on and off the field. One of the things I think I bring to the field is a lot of composure; I feel like I bring the ball down and control it.

“The girls also come to me for help with schoolwork and I’m glad that they do. Even when I was injured, I tried hard to keep a smile on my face around my team to be supportive even if it’s hard inside sitting on the bench.”

Ms. Hollinshead brings the same kindness and thoughtfulness to her volunteer work. One organization she supports is Inn from the Cold, which provides assistance to homeless people in the Calgary area. She’s also had the opportunity to travel with her family to underdeveloped countries. “Having experiences like these really make you grateful for everything you have and helps keep things in perspective,” says Hollinshead.

When asked if she sets goals for herself, Ms. Hollinshead shakes her head no. “Mom and Dad have always expected a lot of me academically and I expected a lot of myself too. I’ve always loved sports and I always wanted to do well. I don’t set goals for myself though; I don’t try and achieve a certain GPA or anything like that. As long as I’m as prepared as I can be and I do all I can then I’m happy. I really love how it feels giving all you can and seeing the results whether it’s a score on a test or a result on the field.”

So what’s next? Ms. Hollinshead has applied to several medical schools and is also considering pursuing a master’s degree. After Christmas, she plans on teaching abroad.