Computing Science major and Golden Bear Taylor Arnett serves up science with a spike of sport. (Photo courtesy UAlberta Athletics)
Who says that scientists can't be sports stars? Proving that it's possible to excel at both, 32 Faculty of Science students were recognized for their achievements in class and sport, named as Academic All-Canadians alongside other UAlberta students at the annual Academic All-Canadian breakfast on Wednesday.
Maintaining an average 80 per cent in full-time courses while simultaneously serving as a full-time varsity athlete is no small feat. But these Bears and Pandas are proving that anything is possible if you set your mind--and body--to it. A national volleyball all-star and winner of two national championships in the past three years, Golden Bear Taylor Arnett tells us how mixing science with sport produces success.
"Sport has taught me to not back down from challenges or shy away from hard work," says Arnett, currently working on completing his final year of a BSc with a computing science major and business minor. "There are times when you face seemingly impossible challenges in school, but participating in sports taught me that with persistence, you can achieve a lot more than you thought possible."
In both sport and science, skills take a long time to master, and the pursuit of excellence requires an eagerness to learn, willingness to experiment, and patience to perfect.
Arnett credits the importance of routine and proactive preparation as the best way to prevent stress.
Applying the scientific method to sport
On the flip side, Arnett says approaching the sport with critical thinking and the logic required for problem solving means he not only experiments with different things on the court, he also thinks more critically about competition in general. The combined traits will no doubt serve him well as he embarks on his career in the competitive computing science field after convocating this coming spring.
"It's important to understand that 'competition' doesn't need to be about being better than someone else at something but is more importantly about constantly trying to improve yourself, regardless of what that might look like amongst your peers. In computing science, you often face problems that initially seem insurmountable, but if you're willing to learn new things, you are able to come up with novel solutions to the problem while learning a lot along the way."
Arnett explains that, in both sport and science, skills take a long time to master, and the pursuit of excellence requires an eagerness to learn, willingness to experiment, and patience to perfect.
Currently playing out his final season, Arnett is a 2014/2015 CIS National Champion, a 2015/2016 CIS second team all-star, and a 2016 First Team Canada West All Star. He and his teammates are set to host the national volleyball championship tournament this coming March at the Saville Community Sports Centre on South Campus.
Student support breeds success
Reflecting on what he will miss most as a UAlberta student and Golden Bear is the serendipity of combining the experiences that helped shape who he has become as not only a scientist and athlete but also as a person.
"My experiences with sport and school at the University of Alberta have taught me a lot about myself. It's from the challenges I have faced that I have learned about my emotional intelligence and how I respond to stress. It's important to earn and build trust and respect with other members of your team or your peers and to stay accountable to each other so that you can achieve your common goals and find success."
Arnett says he will also miss the feeling of walking alongside other students sharing similar life experiences.
He credits the culture of support from both athletics and science student services as helping him succeed at university life, something he admits he likely took for granted during his time as a student. "I think it's incredibly important to acknowledge that university can offer some of the most amazing and sometimes most stressful and confusing times in your life thus far. I've learned that achieving a good school/sport/life balance is much easier when you make use of the resources around you offer."
He says his life would have been drastically more difficult without the accommodating teaching assistants and professors, flexible coaching staff, on-campus mental health services, and supportive friends. "Everyone's path will be different, but take the time to try out new things, build relationships with the people around you, and ask for help when you need it."
Arnett how has his sights set over the net on starting his career with a startup company while also keeping his options open for the opportunity to play professional volleyball. Congratulations Taylor.