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Barret Hildebrandt
Faculty: 4th year, Kinesiology and Recreation Management
MAJOR: Kinesiology
PURSUING: Bachelor of Kinesiology
PLANS TO PURSUE: Masters of Science (Kinesiology)
By the time Barret Hildebrandt decided to pursue a Kinesiology degree at the University of Manitoba, he had already earned an 18-month Information Technology Analyst diploma and was pursuing an IT career in Calgary.
The college experience, he says, was substantially different from what he found at University. “In college, you spend all of your time being trained to do a specific job. It's very intense. University is much more open. You're expected not only to learn about the subjects you're taking, but about the world around you. You have the time and you're encouraged to explore other interests, to get involved in activities other than just school work.”
Coming to the University as a Mature Student did have advantages, says Barret. “Having a life and a career before you go to school gives you real insight into what’s out there, into what you want to do with your life,” he says. “When you come to school as a Mature Student, you’re much more focused on what you want to do, where you want to go, and where you need to be.”
Barret’s maturity has led to a focus not just on his education, but on leadership.
“Being a little older than my fellow students, I found myself naturally taking a mentorship role,” he says. “I really started to enjoy that aspect of going to university, and I soon realized that leadership qualities were going to be important to me whatever path I followed. That’s why I’ve sought opportunities to develop and use my leadership skills wherever I can.”
Those opportunities have taken the form of a mentoring role within the Bison Sports Track & Field and Cross Country team.
“Sharing what I’ve learned, and my passion for physical fitness, for activity in daily life, is part of what drives me now,” says Barret. “That’s where I see myself going, probably in a research career. ”
Although he considered himself a desk jockey in his previous career, Barret doesn't think he'll ever be one again. “Being active, being physically fit, is so important to overall health, well-being and longevity, that it’s imperative that the message gets out. I want to be part of that.”
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