She was a student trainer for football and track and field, worked for the sport health clinic and participated in drama productions on campus. She has completed her kinesiology degree and will speak for her class as valedictorian this spring, an honour bestowed on her by her classmates.

In addition to volunteering, working and going to school full time, Bakke is raising a four-year-old son, Odin. “It’s a hard balance. I go without a lot of sleep sometimes,” Bakke said. “But I have a goal and Odin is such a big part of that. He is a huge driving force in why I’m doing this. He loves coming over to the football field and the guys are great with him.”

Even before she became a kinesiology student and a mom, Bakke had a love for sports. Participating in basketball, soccer, track, bowling and bobsledding at a competitive level influenced her decision to enrol in kinesiology. As a trainer, she got to stay involved in athletics and be part of the team while learning under Rhonda Shishkin, head physiotherapist of Huskie Athletics. Bakke’s work earned her the trainer of the year award for 2008-09.

With her degree completed, Bakke is now looking at occupational therapy and physiotherapy as possible career possibilities. Before starting at the U of S, her knowledge of occupational therapy was limited, but classes and her experience have changed that. “Everything happens for a reason and you get pushed in certain directions.”

Although Bakke believes fate plays a role in life, she also knows that the best advice is to do everything you can for yourself. “Good things happen to good people, but you also have to work hard for it. If you’ve got a dream it can drive you and you can always figure out a way. The biggest thing is having that belief in yourself.”