McCall Scholarships: Ashlyn Hills to bring the team spirit

BY SCOTT STEPHENSON

McCall Scholarship recipient Ashlyn Hills may be leaving Huron County for the University of Guelph in the fall, but she’ll be bringing along enough team spirit to share with the whole class.

 

This F.E. Madill graduate may have earned this prestigious award through years of community involvement, but Hills has never looked at her charitable works as the road to recognition - she just wanted to make a difference. “A lot of my community involvement was through the CKNX Relief Truck, and then also doing ‘Stuff the Bus’ for the North Huron Food Share,” she told The Citizen. “Being able to do something that benefitted others really felt important to me and meaningful.”

 

Volunteering has also helped Hills discover her path into post-secondary education. Having seen first-hand what a positive impact a healthy meal can have on a person, Hills has decided to study Human Kinetics. “I want to help students learn the importance of exercise and nutrition for their health, the prevention of injury, and recovery,” she explained. “I know that nutrition is super important to the human body, so I think going into Human Kinetics will help me help people in my community.”

 

Hills wasn’t expecting to be one of this year’s McCall Scholarship recipients. “I was quite surprised when I got the call,” she told The Citizen. “Everyone who is selected for one of those is qualified. And, it’s interesting to learn about everybody else’s community involvement and contributions.”

 

To Hills, this scholarship means a little bit of extra breathing room as she begins her post-secondary journey. “Since I don’t have to focus on finances as much, that’s more time to focus on my studies,” she noted.

 

While she is excited about the opportunities awaiting her in Guelph, Hills is also preparing for the big adjustment of trading the familiarity of home for the unknown realm that is campus living. “I consider adapting to the school and community away from my family, and the learning curve to my program to be the most daunting personal challenges,” she confessed. “But I’m also excited to build connections in a community with different people, and learn about different cultures and different experiences.”

 

While change is always accompanied by a little uncertainty, Hills believes in always embracing an opportunity when one presents itself. “Take a chance!” she advised. “Apply to the scholarship, try out for the sports team or club, or send that e-mail regarding a research opportunity… ‘No’ is the worst thing that they can say, so shoot your shot. Continue to keep pushing. You can do this. Believe in yourself.”