By Megan Melone, Writer
Photography submitted by Brianna Burke
Brianna Burke is a senior secondary English education major from Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada. Brianna is the goalie for the McKendree women’s hockey team, and she also plays saxophone in the McKendree jazz band.
I interviewed Brianna about her time at McKendree and her plans after graduation:
Where are you from?
BURKE: I am from Fort McMurray, Alberta Canada.
How has living in the U.S. been for you?
BURKE: When I first came down here, it was quite a culture shock. I came in August of 2020, and that was when the election was going on, so just seeing the political climate and how very different it was from home and proximity-wise being so far from home was a huge change. I had never lived away from home before. I had always been super independent, but this was a huge jump and huge change for me. Just being so far away from my family, it was definitely hard and still is hard to this day. I didn’t get to watch my sister grow up in her final years of school, and just not being around my family all of the time was hard. But eventually I adjusted to it, and because of it, I think I have done a lot of growing as a person, and it has done wonders for me in adding to who I am today.
Why did you decide to study abroad?
BURKE: I was signed to the hockey team here just before I graduated high school. That was ultimately what influenced my decision. I was initially going to go to school in Canada, but the coach, Derek Pallardy, and I were in dialogue about this opportunity to play for the school, and it just seemed like a very good opportunity. I was really excited by it, and I thought, “You know what, I’ll give it a shot. I know it’s really far out there, but I would be mad at myself if I didn’t go for it.”
What are some of the things you like about McKendree?
BURKE: I know everyone says this, but I love the small class sizes. It’s very good for interpersonal relationships and developing a good rapport with your professors and with your peers. Just getting that one-on-one or small group attention from your professors and your classmates is really important, especially academics-wise. It has helped me succeed. I’ve done better here than I did in high school just because the class sizes are even smaller here than they were at my high school. I really like that aspect and also how campus feels very community-like. Most people are sports-oriented or music-oriented, and it is really easy to find people with similar interests to you, and that’s what I really like about campus.
Besides Hockey, what else are you involved in?
BURKE: I am also involved in the music department. I have done jazz for the past four years, and then I started doing jazz-combo as well last year. I play the saxophone.
Tell me more about women’s hockey.
BURKE: The program here is so special. I had actually not played women’s hockey prior to coming here. Where I lived there was only boy’s hockey available until after I graduated. So, it was a huge change for hockey playing with women for the first time and also playing at a whole new level. When I first came in, there were ten skaters and two goalies, which is only two full lines. Given that we were such a small team, it was a physically taxing year for everyone and since it was so small, we banded together over the year through Covid and all the restrictions. When my second year came around, our coach signed about ten new players, and each year we’ve gotten more and more players, and I have seen the talent and personality evolve so much over the past four years. It’s been really amazing to watch that change and watch the program grow and see more and more driven players come through. Because most of our team is from abroad, we are in this position where we are a family by default since we have each other to lean on. I love playing for this team, and I love playing for this school. I think the team culture has become so profound and valuable since I have been here. Yeah, I love it.
Why did you choose a secondary education major?
BURKE: I have always had a love for English; it has always been my strongest subject in school. I love the idea of being able to relay my knowledge to younger generations. I love the idea of being able to have an impact on people that are growing up now. I not only want to use my classroom to relay English knowledge but also to relay knowledge on how to be a good citizen and a good person. I have always liked working with kids, especially older ones. I have had a bit of coaching experience, both in sports and also in teaching beginner band clinics. I really enjoyed it, so it felt like the right career path for me.
What are your future plans?
BURKE: I am going to take a fifth year of undergrad. I pushed my full-time student teaching to the fall semester of this year so that I could play out my hockey eligibility since our season does run through the springtime. So, I will be doing my student teaching next year, and I plan on pursuing a music endorsement in my spring of 2025 semester so that I will be certified to teach both English and music. Once I graduate, obviously I would like my own classroom, but where I would like to teach is up in the air right now. I think it depends on where the most opportunities present themselves, and after I weigh the pros and cons of living in either country, I will be able to make my decision from there. When I first came, I was dead set on going back to Canada and teaching there, but since I have established a life here and established connections and friends here, I have started to second-guess if I do want to go back to Canada. That is something I will be thinking about over the next few months, and I will make my decision from there. But for now I do have a fifth year to go, which I am quite looking forward to.
Do you have any advice for other students?
BURKE: Make the most out of every moment that you are here because those four years just fly by. I can’t believe that I am already in my senior year, spring semester. It is insane how fast the time flies. Make as many connections as you can, branch out as much as you can because chances are that there are so many other people here that have similar interests as you. I think it is such a special place to find your people and find what you love.
