Rocking it on the ice and in class: CivMin first-year student balances varsity curling with demanding Engineering academic schedule
CivMin chatted with first-year student Stella Armstrong about her move to Toronto while simultaneously taking on competitive sports and an Engineering program, along with sticking with what she knows – the lucky socks!
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m from Ottawa, Ontario and I’ve been curling out of Ottawa since I was about eight years old. When I decided to come to U of T for [Lassonde] Mineral Engineering, I saw they had a varsity curling team. So, I decided to join and I’m hoping to play on the team for the next four years as well.
I wasn’t sure exactly if I wanted to continue curling once I got to university, especially because I know the engineering workload is very, very hard and very difficult [to coordinate with a competitive athletic schedule]. I was a bit unsure at first, but I’m very glad I decided to do it because it provides a really good balance. I’m happy that I did join the team – it’s just a great community overall as well.
Did you come and visit to talk with some of the coaching staff beforehand?
Yes. When I came here, it was for an event called GLEE [Girls’ Leadership in Engineering Experience]. It was girls in engineering, and when I arrived here I had reached out to one of the coaches. I was already in contact with the main coach over the summer time, so I was just talking to them about my experience curling and what the team is like here. I was able to have that communication with them and able to talk to them, then I was able to try out for the team at the beginning of the year. Now I’m on the team.
How did you wind up deciding to apply to Mineral Engineering?
I was always fascinated with nature, our environment, and how everything works, but I also really liked math. Around grade 12, I knew I really wanted to do something in that field. Then, when I was applying to universities, the mineral program really stood out to me at U of T, and I also really was interested in the environmental engineering minor.
It was definitely something I’m not super familiar with, but something I was interested in and wanted to want to get a little more information about. And, so far after first semester, I’m 100% sold. I love Mineral Engineering.
Currently your first-year class is receiving guest speaker for your MIN191 course, where each week different alumni come and tell you about their personal journey at school and their career path. How has this been going for you?
I really like them, because a lot of people will come in and I feel it’s a very real conversation we’re having. We really get to understand what it’s like working in the mining industry, and we get to see all these different perspectives from different people and their experience here.
They are actually U of T grads, of course, who have themselves experienced first-year engineering. They tell us how it was like for them and what it’s like transitioning from the education side an institution, then working in the real world and in the field. It’s really amazing how, especially as first-year students, we’re able to see how this journey progresses and what life is like after school. I thoroughly enjoy it.
Have you heard some things from some of these speakers that might be different than what you had preconceived about the industry in some ways?
I think something that stood out to me was the concept that there’s so many opportunities after school. Going into Mineral Engineering I thought I might be restricted about my options after having this degree. But you’re able to see there’s a lot of different things you can do. You could go into accounting. You can go into consulting. There are many, many fields you can go into.
I think by understanding this, and knowing there’s so many different possibilities available after taking our degree, it is very enlightening and something that brings me a lot of comfort to know.
The last few speakers showed the class a great number of travel photos. Is this aspect of the business something that appeals to you?
Yes! That’s a yes, 100%. I’d love to travel. I love being outdoors and nature. I remember the last presentation we just had, our presenter was talking about the different places she was able to visit and that was something that stood out to me. I’m so excited because I’m someone who loves to travel. Having that opportunity is definitely something that I’m excited for.
Being from out of town, not originally from Toronto, how did you find fitting into the city? Were you apprehensive about moving to Toronto, a bigger city?
I was excited because I think it’s definitely some place I’d like to go for my education – having all these different opportunities and whatnot. It’s definitely different at first, but I do like the idea there’s always people around. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is or what day it is, it’s always busy and it’s very lively, which I really appreciate.
There’s definitely a transition, especially from Ottawa, but I like it so far.
You’re living downtown in residence. What have you found you liked about Chestnut Residence?
Right now I’m in Chestnut Residence, so am pretty much right downtown. We’re right next to the Eaton Centre, so it’s very, very busy down here.
I also love it here because you’re able to meet other Engineering students, so having the chance to collaborate with each other, and learn from each other, is a great opportunity. And I’ve met so many people at Chestnut, so many friends. It’s also amazing, too. There’s a lot going on with the other Engineering students and with all your similar school work.
But if you ever just want to relax and hang out with friends, you could just walk down the hall and see people. It just really gives you a good social aspect to meet new people, build connections and just have a great community of friends to rely on. So I’ve really enjoyed that.
Do you have any classes you’re taking that are really standing out or that you really like?
I like all of my classes this semester. Actually I’m super interested in them all.
I really like my insight to mineral engineering class because I think it it used to be a second year program, but now it’s first year. I think it’s extremely beneficial because, again, I was super interested in the mining industry and this degree, but I don’t really know too much about it. So, being able to really understand it and get a good insight into it first year is I think is amazing – it’s quite unique.
I’m really interested in my other classes too, like physical chemistry and calculus and all of the generic classes that most people take. But I I like all of my classes right now, yeah.
You’re varsity athlete and in an engineering program. It’s very demanding. How is training, practice and competition? How does that work out schedule wise for you?
What we typically do is have league games every Wednesday night and we also have practices on weekends. For the most part it’s very manageable. At first it was a little rough, especially with the whole transitioning into the university lifestyle and leaving home and whatnot. But now it’s just kind of part of the routine.
I usually allocate certain hours of my weekend to studying, and then the other parts I go to curling and there’s a bit of a commute as well, but it just becomes a routine I find and it’s very manageable. If you we’re able to really focus and put the effort in, then it all works out.
Is there a certain library space, or somewhere else on campus, you like to go?
I really like the Gerstein Library. I usually go there during exam season when I’m able to go there in the morning and get some work done. Then I usually go and eat.
The Second Cup [coffee stand] in Myhal is a regular for me. I think I go there every single day, because it’s a part of my meal plan, but I really enjoy it. I like Myhal altogether. I really like how bright it is. There’s lots of windows. There’s a lot of light in there and it just overall brings a really good environment and I really like spending my time there.
Your dining plan is flexible, so you can eat all over campus, right?
Yes, we can eat just almost anywhere with our meal plan, which is amazing to me. I really enjoy the fact I can try different things and be able to eat at different locations, so that’s very nice thing.
Ohh, and I like eating at MedSci [Medical Science Building cafeteria]. I really like the tuna poke ball. It’s usually my go to, but I’ve tried everything else there – the pasta, the burgers and whatnot, so I’ve had a little bit of it all.
Has there been an adjustment from playing in Ottawa to Toronto or the area?
Well, I find that because the curling community is so small, most of the people I am playing against from universities are the same people I competed against back home. I used to travel all the time from Ottawa to come play in Toronto. A lot of the Ontario teams we played against this season are actually people I used to play against when I was younger. It’s nice seeing familiar faces and curling against people, but I think the transition it’s a little different. It’s a little on the competitive side. It’s different because the coaching style is a little different, the training’s different, but overall I think it’s a very smooth transition and it’s quite similar.
Do you have any routines or superstitions with your curling activities?
Yes. I like wearing the same pair of socks. I have these curling socks and I like wearing for games. I usually have the same routine every time for every game. I’m a little superstitious, I’d say, but it’s just all about the mentality.
It’s a very mental game, right? So you have to be more mentally prepared. I find so just reassuring yourself that you know you’re gonna do the best you can. No one plays 100%, but just reassure yourself and just always have a positive attitude on the ice. That’s what I like to do going into every game.
I won these socks when I was younger. I did Little Rocks and I was in little bonspiels and I’d always have like a raffle table. I remember the first thing I won at these bonspiels were these curling socks – they were huge. They still fit now, but I just started wearing them every time to competitions and just became my lucky socks, as I now call them.
By Phill Snel