For better or for worse, there are certain stereotypes that are associated with being an athlete. Whether it be the widely held (and mostly baseless) notion that athletes are self-absorbed or empty-headed, there seems to be somewhat of an expectation that student-athletes aren't academically inclined.
Despite those stereotypes, there are some that buck those trends and remind the sports world why those assumptions are misleading. One of those antithetical cases is Steven Harland (Toronto, Ont.), a fourth-year forward who plays on Ryerson's men's hockey team.
A graduate of Neil McNeil H.S. in Scarborough, Ont. and a former member of the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Harland is majoring in, biomedical science. While most of his high school friends (and current Rams teammates) went on to study business, he took a bit of a different route. Like his teammate Tyler Lentz (Calgary, Alta.) (and former teammate
Andrew Mullen), Harland often trades gloves for beakers off the ice.
"I chose it because it's really just what I'm passionate about," Harland said of his choice of university program. "No matter what I do or where I go from here, it's always a good thing to [have]," he added.
In general, health science and engineering programs are considered to be some of the toughest and most rigorous at the university level, with programs in Ryerson's Faculty of Science being no exception. Though Harland's workload is a bit lighter given the fact that he spent one year studying Arts and Contemporary Studies upon arriving at Ryerson, he still deals with the heavy workload associated with a degree in the sciences.
In fact, he says that being in a science-centred program is easier, at least for him.
"There's not really one right answer, you have to sort of expand upon everything," Harland said of the differences between arts and sciences at the university level. "For me, I think the sciences are a lot easier, but I know for a lot of other people it's different."
At Ryerson, Harland has experimented with courses in biophysics, immunology, and physiology. He's also working towards earning a minor in physics, which he says could lead to a possible career in astronomy. His academic success is impressive as well, seeing as he's a two-time U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian.
Most of all, Harland credits taking a few years off between high school and university with helping him truly decide what he wanted to pursue. As a 19-year-old, Harland travelled to North Bay, Ont. to play with the Battalion, where he'd spend two seasons, tallying 39 goals and 66 assists in 121 OHL games.
"Luckily I chose the route of [taking] a few years off and [playing] hockey," Harland remarked. "I'm glad I did it, I think it's a lesson...to just do what you're passionate about."
His program has a four-year and a five-year option, the latter of which includes five terms of co-op. Though he was originally in the co-op stream, COVID-19 caused him to re-evaluate his academic trajectory. Because of the disruption incited by the pandemic, Harland decided to spend only four years and earn his degree without a co-op placement.
That's why he was a part of last season's men's hockey senior's night; he initially didn't think he'd be returning to the team, but decided to spend an extra year competing given the current situation. Had he ended his university hockey career then, he would've finished with 17 goals and 38 assists in 76 games. Of course, he may grow those totals if he once again steps on the ice for the Rams.
Overall, Harland doesn't seem to take things too seriously, both on and off the ice. While his education is clearly very important to him, he doesn't forget the reason he got into hockey in the first place: fun.
"For me, hockey's just been a fun thing to do with friends," Harland said. "And, obviously, playing it at a competitive level with Ryerson just makes it that much more enjoyable."
For more academic profiles on our student-athletes, stay tuned to ryersonrams.ca
