“In my life, sport is a real outlet. I really enjoy challenges. I really enjoy exercise. It gives me a really good place to put my emotions that doesn't interfere with any other aspect of my life. You can just kind of leave it on the court,” Alyson McKay relays. She grew up in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut but left to go to school at Carleton University in Ottawa two years ago. She’s also travelled extensively with sports like volleyball.

When she got to school, she did academic upgrading with a goal of entering engineering, but decided to go into anthropology after taking it as an elective. She also tried political science, but anthropology was what excited her the most. She excelled in the course and felt confident in how much research she could do in the field and how many different directions she could explore.

Transitioning to university wasn’t as hard as it could have been because McKay had a lot of support at her school. Doing upgrading in Math and Science was a good entry point and the Indigenous student centre helped her feel at home. The adjustment to dormlife and citylife was challenging at first, especially moving from a small community to a more populated city. While there were challenges, there were also opportunities. McKay made new friends and found people who could help her, connecting with a professor from Iqaluit.

When asked for her advice for Inuit students leaving their home community for school, McKay said, “Don't be afraid to reach out to anyone. Everyone is always ready to help you no matter where you go. I had a lot of apprehension towards just going up to people and asking them things. Once you get past that, it makes figuring everything out so much easier. It gives you a real support system, and it'll make being there easier for you.”

Playing on the Carleton Ravens volleyball team, McKay has accomplished a lot. While she only played recreationally in her first year, she later tried out for the team and enjoyed her teammates, the training and her coach. There were 84 girls who tried out and while she really wanted to get in, the team shared opportunities to play volleyball at school even if they didn’t make the team. Some of the travel stretched her but at the same time, she gained structure. “I recommend for anybody into sports who wants to try out for any of the teams at the school just go, just try…. There's no downside to it. It's amazing,” she urges. She and her sister are headed to the Canada Games in Newfoundland on the same team, an experience she’s excited about.

If she could share a message with her younger self, McKay says she would say, “Go that extra mile.” Looking back, she wishes she had worked harder in high school to position herself better in university. She would also recommend that she put herself out there more socially to make friends and build a stronger support system.

To balance her mental health and wellbeing, McKay goes off campus to explore her new community, spending time in cafes and bookstores. She likes to go for walks and work out with the gym membership that comes with her dorm rent. Making use of the amenities that are paid for through tuition is something she recommends.

When it comes to inspiration, McKay looks to the values her parents instilled in her since childhood like the importance of higher education, staying active, nurturing relationships and maintaining family ties. “A lot of what I do is for the people that I care about and for myself,” she confides, thinking of how she tries to be what her family needs. Overall, she’s enjoyed figuring things out and learning about herself.

With sports as her outlet, Alyson McKay has learned to leave all her frustrations on the volleyball court. She upgraded her academics in her first year and she levelled up and tried out for the volleyball team in her second year. Doing her best for herself and her family, she’s got no shortage of inspiration to keep going and chasing her dreams in the big city of Ottawa. She might be far from home, but her community is always in her heart.

Thanks to Alison Tedford Seaweed for authoring this article.