Graduates celebrate community and wellness at convocation
Meet some of the 2025 FKRM graduates
Convocation is a chance to celebrate our graduates and recognize the impact FKRM students have made and will continue to make in their fields and communities. As tassels turn and new paths emerge, we are proud to share the stories of some outstanding graduates from the Class of 2025.
Bachelor of Recreation Management Community Development (BRMCD)
Liat Schultz, BRMCD
Liat Shultz says she chose the BRMCD program because “it prioritizes real-world experiences and relationships.”
Enthusiastic about creating spaces where people feel welcome and free to be themselves, Shultz says she wants to explore “how outdoor public spaces can foster belonging and give adults permission to play.”
Shultz says in her final months of study, she often recalled a key lesson from the program; people thrive when they feel they belong.
For Naomi Pritchett, that sense of belonging started in the therapeutic recreation course. The course allowed her to combine her passion for helping others with play and leisure.
An Undergraduate Research Award recipient, Pritchett worked with Dr. Christine Van Winkle and her Revelry and Resilience study. She says this experience shaped her academic path and “her sense of self.”
Pritchett, the first person in her family to graduate, says convocation feels like a special moment “not only for me but for my family and the trauma and sacrifices they made to help get me here.”
Schultz is beginning a master in geography and planning at Queen’s University.
Naomi will keep working with Van Winkle on her Revelry and Resilience study while pursuing a child life specialist certificate.
Bachelor of Kinesiology – Athletic Therapy
Hannah Hudson, BKIN-AT
Hannah Hudson says what makes FKRM special is its strong community. Over time, it became a place of real connection for her and other students.
“Professors go an extra step for the student’s success,” Hudson says.
Hudson says that through her time at UM, she has learned that the journey is greater than the destination. “It is not about where you end up, but the people you meet along the way
and the opportunities you get to experience.”
Karine Boucher says she made lifelong friendships in the faculty. These relationships made her experience more encouraging and enjoyable.
“I feel confident in what I learned and am ready to take on the real world,” she says.
Boucher adds that a big part of that confidence came from the FKRM professors.
“They were incredibly supportive and truly wanted us to succeed. Knowing they had my back made participating in classes much more encouraging.”
Hudson plans to take the national certification exam to become a certified athletic therapist.
Boucher hopes to work abroad before returning home to Ontario, where she plans to build a career working in a clinic, with minor sports on the side.
Bachelor of Kinesiology
Health, movement and meaningful connection brought Cassidy Copple to FKRM. She says she appreciated the supportive, connected community and the mix of academic and hands-on learning.
“I feel lucky to have been part of such an involved faculty, where I was able to make connections and feel valued as a student and a person,” says Copple.
Breanne Johnson found those connections advocating for people. She served as the social justice representative on the PERKS council and as co-chair of the EDIA committee. Breanne say the roles let them “use my voice to strengthen equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility efforts within our faculty.”
Johnson says her education journey, like many students, switched between in-person and online learning over the last few years. Still, they wouldn’t change it for anything as “they made me the person I am today, and I am so incredibly grateful for all of them.”
Nicholas Klassen says learning to say ‘yes’ was “the most valuable lesson I learned.” Saying yesled him to experiences he never thought he’d be involved in. Klassen says he started his journey thinking he “had no aptitude or patience” for research. But that changed when he applied for and accepted an Undergraduate Research Award.
“It exposed me to a whole new world and field of science with new skills and knowledge to learn, and it was quite different from what I learned in the classroom,” he says.
One of the most important lessons for Angela Kroeker, a Bisons track and field student-athlete, was the emphasis on building trusting relationships with peers, teachers and clients.
Angela Kroeker, BKIN
Kroeker says her fieldwork placement allowed her to “develop valuable skills of how to work together with others and how to create rehabilitation programs for individuals.”
She says the positive impact of hands-on experience that fieldwork provides is invaluable. The lessons she learned in the classroom helped her during her fieldwork. This expereince helped her build skills she’ll use in the next stages of her career.
Izzie Cotroneo says the hands-on courses highlighted the faculty’s strong sense of community. Cotroneo says the community she found in the faculty was incredibly supportive and welcoming.
“Get involved and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone,” she says. “Meet new people and try new things; it makes your university experience ten times better.”
Cotroneo will continue her journey this August, pursuing a master of physical therapy.
Kroeker will pursue a master of occupational therapy at UM.
Klassen plans to complete a dual MD/PhD program and work as a clinical scientist, combining clinical practice and research.
Johnson will be working with the community as a park interpreter at Grindstone Provincial Park.
Copple plans to pursue a master in occupational therapy.
Bachelor of Physical Education
Chloe Capan, BPE
Chloe Capan’s passion for physical health and the human body began at a young age, driving her toward a career in healthcare and a desire to educate others on healthy lifestyles.
Capan says her time in the program helped her develop confidence, discipline and consistency.
“Everyone genuinely cares—they’re passionate, knowledgeable and truly want to see us succeed,” Capan says. “Because our faculty is small, there’s a strong sense of connection between students and staff.”
After graduation, Capan plans to work in healthcare as an occupational therapist or nurse.
The Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management is proud to congratulate all of our graduate students on their achievements within the faculty and the difference they are already making in the world.
