For women balancing engineering and varsity athletics, being seen - and supported - can be as impactful as performance itself.
Volleyball player Robyn McLean is a fourth-year mechanical and biomedical engineering student. Born and raised in Calgary, McLean comes from a family of engineers, has always loved STEM subjects and grew up playing volleyball.
"I am really interested in biomechanics - there is so much cool research in biomedical engineering to develop new technology to assist humans," says McLean. "I am lucky that I love my degree and what I am learning. I love going to class."
Gajic, a point guard on the Dinos basketball team, is wrapping up her fourth year in electrical engineering, with a deep interest in power engineering and power electronics.
Gajic is drawn to the unanswered questions in the field and the potential for new ideas that could shape how society uses limited resources. To her, the unknowns are an invitation to explore solutions that will matter for generations.
"Growing up, I always wanted to make a difference in the world. Power affects so many communities - bridging the gap is an exciting opportunity to help people for the better," she says.
Confidence that carries into the classroom
McLean has seen the power of being on a team translate to her engineering studies. She shares that being surrounded by strong women everyday who are working to excel and who know their worth has been beneficial to her classes."My groups are almost always guys, and my classes are as well. It’s being able to have the confidence in myself and speak up and not let someone speak over me, to know my ideas and my own worth," she says.
Gajic echoes this with her own experience, noticing how basketball has made her stronger and more confident.
" I think the biggest thing I take away from athletics is learning how to stand my ground and battle through adversity," she says. "What I’ve learned in my basketball journey is that if you do the preparation and put in the work, you are never going to be nervous. "
Galjic says the mental preparation that comes with sport connects to high-pressure moments off the court. "There are going to be moments when you doubt yourself, but being able to believe in yourself and know the work speaks for itself is especially important for women," she says.
The power of being seen
When Gajic and her teammates took on University of British Columbia in February, they felt the support from the stands, and it showed."When we were playing against UBC, the men’s volleyball team was there cheering us on," she says. "Sometimes, you don’t feel that support as a female athlete - you play in a lot of empty gyms. It makes it like there is less to play for, but, when it’s filled with people, it hits you."
The team won the Canada West Championship and also defeated the top-ranked, undefeated team in the Canada West Semifinals, ending a 50-game winning streak for the University of Saskatchewan.
"Being able to be an athlete in university, there are a lot of youth athletes who get to see a female athlete and see that it’s normal. We exist and there’s opportunity to keep playing sport. It’s a privilege," says McLean.
"I’ve been going to games at UCalgary since I was 10 years old. To grow up and watch them and now to be here - little Robyn would think I am pretty cool."
Taking up space
The gender disparities McLean and Gajic see in STEM mirror those they see in sport, reinforcing the importance of confidence and representation in both arenas."One beautiful thing about sport is that everyone needs a role model to look up to, and some of the best ones are female athletes," says Gajic.
McLean shares her advice for young girls unsure about whether to take a jump into a male-dominated space: "Take up space. There are girls before you who have done this and earned this for you. You deserve to be here."
