As part of the final Max Cameron High School graduating class, Katelin Albert said she had no scholarly leanings beyond plans to play soccer at Vancouver Island University (VIU).
Albert’s goals have shifted slightly, however, and now the recipient of VIU’s 2016 Distinguished Alumni Early Achievement Award is completing a sociology doctorate at University of Toronto, with the aim of becoming a professor.
For Albert’s mother, Kathy Bowes, her daughter’s drive to succeed comes as no surprise.
“The kid walked four days short of seven months,” said Bowes. “She’s an extraordinary human being and wherever she goes people comment on that.”
From walking, Albert went on to dominate the soccer field with Powell River Flames before joining VIU’s women’s varsity team in Nanaimo and eventually completing a double major in psychology and sociology in 2008.
While Albert holds a masters degree in sociology from University of Victoria and has several published articles in academic journals to her credit, she said when she first headed to VIU she had sports on her mind.
“The idea of being a professor wasn’t even on my radar,” said Albert. “I went to VIU to play soccer, and I really had no direction or idea about graduate school.”
Albert credits her success at finding her academic passion with being allowed to explore her options at VIU and the space to challenge people’s perceptions of her.
“I was not the most academic person when I left Powell River,” she said. “It’s easy to get typecast, but it is important to take what people say with a grain of salt.”
In addition to her doctoral research on how educators, parents and adolescents understand the effects of the human papillomavirus vaccine, Albert also studies gender-based refugee claims and investigates the cause of sexual violence on university campuses.
Albert received the VIU award at the university’s winter convocation ceremony in Nanaimo on Thursday, January 28.
“It’s overwhelming,” said Albert. “Having all your hard work and accomplishments recognized feels very good, but there’s always been so many people that have helped me, so it is very humbling.”
