Third year marked the turning point for “truly tremendous” Kinesiology student

Kanishka Vinayak’s best day at McMaster was a long time coming but worth the wait.

It happened on the first day of her third year – the midway mark in her undergrad degree in Kinesiology. “That day was my turning point,” says Kanishka. All of her lectures and labs in both the fall and winter terms were finally and fully in-person. “Attending that first lecture and seeing the entire class outside of squares on Zoom was surreal. It made everything feel real.” Kanishka closed out that perfect day by going to a McMaster Kinesiology Society meeting and then hanging out with friends on campus.

The day left Kanishka with a renewed sense of purpose that fuelled what would turn into a banner year. She’d hit her stride and gain real-world experience working in the Physical Activity Centre of Excellence (PACE), hone her leadership skills by serving on the student-run Kinesiology Society and land a dream research placement with the Vascular Dynamics Lab. All three experiences would continue in her fourth year, with Kanishka also serving as co-president of McMaster Youth for Asia to raise money for the OneSky Foundation.

Kanishka had joined PACE as a student program assistant during the winter term of her second year. The centre offers specialized physiotherapy services plus research-based exercise programs for around 500 seniors and people living with multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease and spinal cord injuries. Like Kanishka’s lectures, PACE’s programs had moved online during the pandemic. The centre had just re-opened and a call went out for student staff and volunteers. “I decided to take a chance and applied for both,” says Kanishka. This may have been the one silver lining from the pandemic. “Typically, volunteers are recommended for staff roles but because of the pandemic closure there were no volunteers so applications were open to everyone.”

At PACE, Kanishka was welcomed into a tight-knit community of clients, staff and volunteers. Taking on a leadership role while still learning the ropes was daunting and nerve-racking but Kanishka says the staff were incredibly helpful with their training and generous with their encouragement. “Despite the initial challenges, I wouldn’t change the experience. It taught me the value of stepping out of my comfort zone.” She was back in the zone and in her element during her second year at PACE.

The best part of working at the centre? “Celebrating clients’ big and small milestones and seeing their confidence grow with every visit.” Kanishka helped clients reach those milestones by designing personalized programs to improve their physical and mental health and quality of life.

“Some of the clients felt like family, offering support, conversation and encouragement while others were more like friends that I could joke around and chat with.”

Kanishka’s ease at building those relationships stood out for Program Coordinator Paula McBurney.  Kanishka brought a remarkable blend of academic knowledge, clinical skills and compassion to PACE that made her one of the top students, says Paula. “Kanishka’s ability to connect on a personal level, along with her positivity and encouragement, transformed the exercise experience for our clients.”

The Vascular Dynamics Lab led by Kinesiology professor and Faculty of Science Dean Maureen MacDonald proved to be yet another welcoming community for Kanishka. She was first introduced to the lab as a study participant and then stayed on as a research placement student studying depression, anxiety and stress and their associations with glycemic control and endothelial function in Type 1 diabetes. Of everything she did during her undergrad, Kanishka’s most proud of the work she put into her thesis project in the lab.  “From selecting the topic to collecting and analyzing data and assembling the finished product, this project was so rewarding in every possible way.” The project did more than teach Kanishka about research and cardiovascular health – she says it gave her skills that’ll she draw on throughout her career.

Graduate student Khandra Barrett went above and beyond as her thesis supervisor, says Kanishka. “I’m so grateful for her unwavering support, encouragement and guidance every step of the way.”

Khandra says she’s equally grateful for the chance to supervise “a truly tremendous student” who demonstrated tenacity, critical thinking skills and a real passion for research. “We built a friendship based on mutual respect and long evenings of data collection,” says Khandra. “It was great to see Kanishka’s self-confidence and presentation skills mature over the course of the year.”

The sense of community at PACE, the Vascular Dynamics Lab, the Kinesiology Society and within her program is what Kanishka will miss most about McMaster. She’s taking a year off before continuing her studies. “I’m excited to take some time to reflect on everything I learned so I can continue growing personally and professionally.”