Keystone student profile: Katelyn Doerbecker

Written by Tasha Glover, Graduate and Postdoctoral Events and Communications and Keystone Communications Volunteer

“Don’t follow your dreams, chase them,” says Katelyn Doerbecker, 2^nd year Recreation and Sports Business student. As a winner of the C.U.P.E Local 793 award, with a long list of accomplishments, Katelyn is doing just that.

Growing up in Waterloo, Ontario, Katelyn pursues her love of athletics in sports like power skating, track and field, rugby, hockey, and ringette; both as player and coach. Just before Katelyn began her first year of university in 2011, she was drafted to play defense for the Waterloo Wildfire team in the National Ringette League (NRL) of Canada.

In August of 2012, Katelyn underwent surgery for a torn ACL with an 8 month recovery period. While she sits out the 2012/2013 NRL season, she is not slowing down. Katelyn continues to coach the local Under 19 (U19) ringette team with her dad and works the front desk at Columbia Lake Icefield, where she tends to sports injuries and equipment management.

With so many ties to the city, the University of Waterloo just made sense for Katelyn. She stays close to home and plays the sport she loves at a national level. Katelyn hopes to graduate with a double major in Recreation and Sport Business/Speech Communication. She plans to pursue a career in marketing or speech communication for a national sports team or sport brand.

With her active lifestyle and history of achievement, it is unsurprising that one of Katelyn’s goals is to graduate from university debt-free. She is very grateful for the CUPE award, using it to pay for her books this term.

“It’s great that you donate,” she tells CUPE donors. “It gives me something to work for!”