Student Profile: Jamie Kolodinsky

Award-winning athlete Jamie Kolodinsky makes the most of her time as she earns two degrees and builds her career

How on earth did Jamie Kolodinsky find the time to not only study for two simultaneous undergraduate degrees, but to also compete in track and field as a varsity athlete?

She sometimes wonders about that, too.

 “I’ve had days where it was just like, ‘All right, I don’t need to get an A in every class,’” says the 23-year-old. “I would wonder why I was doing so much stuff, and it could be stressful and chaotic, but I always come back to when I finally get some time off — I’m bored.”

Along with a BA in geography, Kolodinsky will be graduating June 7 with a BSc in environmental science with a concentration in biology through the Faculty of Science. She managed that feat while being a member of the University of Calgary Athletics Club and the Dinos Varsity Track and Field team, earning honours that range from being a Canada Games silver medallist to a triple medallist at the Western Canada Summer Games.

European cities inspire career direction

Originally a competitor in the high jump and long jump events, Kolodinsky decided to become a pentathlete this year. She now also does hurdles, shot put and the 800-metre race.

Did Kolodinsky mention she has a part-time job at the university’s Outdoor Centre? “I am more efficient when I have more to do,” she says.

She hopes to use her two degrees to carve out a career exploring how sustainability and renewable energy can be incorporated into city planning. She was inspired by a summer field school she did through the university, visiting cities in European countries such as Norway, Germany and Spain.

“I looked at what they have in terms of solar power and recycling in cities, and gardens within the city for growing food instead of huge corporations bringing it in,” she says. “In Canada, we have more space than in Europe, so we can have big cities with sprawl and cars everywhere, whereas in Europe, there are a lot of city designs that only allow pedestrian traffic downtown.”

Making the most of her time as she builds her career likely won’t be a problem. Apart from her first year in 2012 at the university, when a training injury forced her to take a break from athletics, she has taken on as many challenges as possible.