This article is part of a series focusing on the grads of the AV俱乐部 Fall Class of 2025.听Read all our profiles here听in one place as they are published.
Kate Morrison graduates with her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology this week, continuing to work toward her Child Life Specialist certification so she can support children and families living with illness and disability.
What inspired you to choose your field of study?
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When I was ten years old, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (T1D), and overnight, my whole worldview changed. I was told there were things I wouldn鈥檛 be able to do anymore, and for a while, I believed that. Diabetes took over my life pretty quickly, but what I鈥檓 most proud of is that I took it back.
Over the last twelve years I have turned that experience into purpose. I鈥檝e become an advocate for accessibility, inclusion, and disability awareness. I鈥檓 passionate about helping people discover what their bodies听can听do through movement, play, and sport. To me, physical activity is a way to connect and celebrate our capabilities, and it鈥檚 a right that everyone deserves access to.
Studying kinesiology at AV俱乐部 has given me a foundation to explore what I care about in depth. It鈥檚 helped me understand how our bodies function and how we can make them stronger, despite our differences. It鈥檚 given me the knowledge to continue my disability advocacy work, and more than anything, it has strengthened my belief that everyone deserves the chance to experience movement and feel empowered.
What was a moment at Dal that you鈥檒l never forget?
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In my second year at Dal, Hurricane Fiona tore through Nova Scotia left much of the province in the dark. In the South end of Halifax we lost power for days and classes were put on hold. With no power and only so many cans of beans, it was incredible to see how quickly everyone came together. In a way, we reconnected like kids again: knocking on each other鈥檚 doors to see who was around, playing catch, and going for bike rides. Everyone鈥檚 phones were dead, and we used my little battery-powered CD player to listen to the radio.
听One night, we got together to cook everyone鈥檚 freezer food on a barbecue before it all went bad. We had a potluck by candlelight, laughing and singing songs and making the most of it. Sitting there in the dark with my friends, I remember thinking how at home I felt. It鈥檚 a moment I鈥檒l carry with me, one that is reminiscent of my time at Dal.
Who supported you along the way and how?
Throughout my time at Dal, I have been surrounded by what feels like a second family. The friends I made in my first year living in Shirreff Hall have stayed by my side ever since, and I feel so lucky to still have them as we all move on to new chapters. Moving away from home and being apart from my parents and siblings was a difficult adjustment, but the people I鈥檝e met here in Halifax have kept me grounded every step of the way.
We鈥檝e laughed, and cried, and occasionally fought (which makes us all the more like family), and together we turned Halifax into our home. My roommates over the last few years are my best friends. We鈥檝e seen each other through the best and worst moments and we鈥檝e really done the whole girlhood thing together. I鈥檓 endlessly grateful for them. I love my friends, and I鈥檓 so excited to see everyone become all the things we鈥檝e been working towards and talking about for so long.
Is there a course that really impacted you?
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In my fourth year, I took Pediatric Exercise Medicine with Dr. Dan Stevens, and it was absolutely my favourite course. Dan genuinely cares about his students, and you can see how passionate he is about what he teaches. The class was small, and being surrounded by peers who were just as excited about the content as I was made it even better.
We explored different chronic illnesses affecting children and how those conditions can shape development, participation, and overall quality of life. I really enjoyed how we spent time discussing and learning about the global efforts being made to improve physical activity rates for kids with disability and illness. It wasn鈥檛 just the content, but how the course was delivered that made it so memorable.
What does graduating mean to you?
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When I was in high school, university felt like the finish line. That was what we worked towards, and I never thought too much about what would come next. Now that I鈥檓 here, I鈥檝e realized it鈥檚 not the end, but the beginning. Graduating represents happening. I鈥檓 doing the things I used to dream about, the things I believe in, and the things that make me feel proud of the person I鈥檝e become. As a kid I spent so much time daydreaming about being a young adult and feeling like the world was opening up around me. Now, I get to step into these stories, and I鈥檓 happening.
For those of us who graduated high school during the COVID-19 lockdowns, graduation carries even more meaning. Many of us missed the chance to celebrate before, so walking the stage now feels like it鈥檚 for seventeen-year-old me as much as it鈥檚 for who I am now. It鈥檚 for the version of me who worked so hard to get here, to start at Dal, and for the version of me now who gets to walk the stage and keep happening.
What is next for you?
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Now that I鈥檝e completed my degree, I鈥檓 really excited to spend some time figuring out what does come next. I鈥檝e never been much of a planner, and the best things in my life have always happened by chance or on a whim. I鈥檓 learning to trust that and let life unfold a little bit at a time.
Right now, I鈥檓 working toward my Child Life Specialist certification so that I can support children and families living with illness and disability. It feels like a natural step for me, something that brings together my experiences, my love for working with kids, and my passion for helping people navigate challenging situations with care and laughter.
At the same time, I鈥檓 leaving space for whatever else is meant to be. My friends and family always remind me that things always have a way of happening to me, and as much as that鈥檚 led me to some very unique situations, I wouldn鈥檛 have it any other way. Graduating and starting a new chapter is an opportunity to not just have things happen to me, but to start happening for myself.